Governance: ‘Failure to spend development funds reflects bad planning’

PTI says of the Rs345 billion allocated for ADP, govt has spent only Rs167 billion


Press Release May 26, 2015
PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry. PHOTO: ONLINE

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Ejaz Chaudhry said on Monday the provincial government’s failure to spend the development budget had exposed its poor governance.

In a statement, he said of the Rs345 billion allocated for the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the 2014-15 budget, the government had spent only Rs167 billion over the last 10 months.

“Why was a large amount allocated for the ADP if the government could not utilise it?” For Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif development meant the construction of roads and flyovers only, he said. “Instead of spending billions of rupees on projects like metro buses and metro trains, the government should focus on the public welfare projects,” Chaudhry said.



PTI Punjab general secretary Yasmin Rashid said the government had done little for the people. She said its self-employment schemes were not transparent. “The poor have no access to basic amenities of life,” she said.

Rashid said southern Punjab was the country’s most neglected region. She said the government had allocated Rs119 billion in this year’s budget for development works in southern Punjab. “No one knows where these funds have been spent. People are committing suicides because of poverty.”

PTI leader Andleeb Abbas said several school buildings in the province were in a dilapidated condition and the government had been unable to spend ADP funds.

Abbas said the so-called development strategy for 2018 was another gimmick. “People will not buy this... they have already been frustrated by the so-called Vision 2025,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26th, 2015. 

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