ADP budget : CM wants good development funds utilisation

Shahbaz Sharif directs depts to focus on education, health, provision of clean water

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed all administrative secretaries to ensure the maximum utilisation possible of development funds before the end of the financial year.

He was presiding over a meeting to review the Annual Development Programme (ADP).

“The CM directed all departments to ensure that development funds were not unutilised. For the next financial year, the administrative secretaries were directed to focus on health, education and provision of clean drinking water,” an official who attended the meeting said.

“Final proposals in these sectors will be presented for CM’s approval in a couple of days. The Knowledge Park, Laptop Scheme, potable water and Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute will have considerable share of the 2016-17 ADP,” he said.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that e-stamp papers would be launched in the province soon. The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) is working on the project. The pilot project will be started from Gujranwala.

“The government is focusing on developing health, education and other social sectors. Billions of rupees is being spent on projects of these sectors,” he said.

He said that every citizen had a right to clean drinking water. “For this purpose, the Saaf Pani Project is being implemented,” the CM said.

The chief minister said that energy crisis had had a negative impact on the country’s economy. “Pakistan’s future is linked to the early resolution of the energy crisis. All efforts are being made to bring the country out of this crisis,” he said.

The CM said that government departments should build their capacity for timely completion of development schemes. “Development projects are being completed transparently. A third-party audit policy is being strictly implemented,” he said. The chief minister said that agriculture sector was the backbone of the national economy. “Rs100 billion has been announced for the development of the agriculture sector,” he said.

He said that Daanish Schools were being set up in Vehari, Bhakkar and Taunsa. “The schools will promote quality education,” he said.

Planning and Development Board Chairman Jehanzeb Khan briefed the meeting about development projects underway in the province. Ministers Rana Mashhood, Syed Haroon Sultan and Asif Bha attended the meeting through video link.

Meeting

The chief minister and Governor Muhammad Rafique Rajwana met on Tuesday. The chief minister said that the government was focusing on serving the people of the country. “Provision of basic amenities to the people is the biggest objective of the government. Billions of rupees is being spent on these projects,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th,  2016.