Sluggish performance: Govt only utilised 18% ADP funds: CGPA

Says RTI requests filed on January 1 remain pending

PESHAWAR: The provincial government has only utilised around 18% of the Annual Development Programme funds for fiscal year 2015-16, stated a press release issued by Centre of Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA) on Monday.

According to the statement, expenditure on development has remained “sluggish” in the province. Details of spending available on the K-P government finance department’s website reveal only Rs31.14 billion of Rs175.02 billion was spent till January 5, 2016. “As of January 5, 2016, the K-P government has released Rs67.8 billion for development projects,” the CGPA statement added.

Withheld

As per the press release, CGPA had filed two requests for information regarding the utilisation of ADP funds to the finance and the planning and development (P&D) departments, respectively, on January 1. This was done under Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act 2013.

“However, it has been over 20 days and no details have been provided.” CGPA has urged the government to speed up the utilisation of the development budgets.

Actual expenditure

The statement reveals the road sector utilised Rs6.41 billion of Rs19 billion allocated under the ADP for FY 2015-16 which constitutes 33.7% of funds allocated. “At least 20.12% funds set aside for the districts have been spent,” read the document. “Around Rs30.2 billion had been allocated and Rs6.08 billion was utilised.” It added, “The local government department, which was allocated Rs18.3 billion, utilised only Rs2.7 billion.”

The research and development sector—which only includes the restoration of Thana Bazaar Road in Malakand—was allocated Rs234 million. However, only Rs1.4 million was utilised.

“The project could have fallen under either the road or the transport sectors,” the CGPA statement read.

Seeking accountability

As per the statement, CGPA Programme Manager Malik Masood has urged the K-P government to ensure efficient and accountable mechanisms to improve utilisation of ADP funds. “There has always been a difference in the claims made by the K-P government and  finance and P&D departments regarding the utilisation of funds,” the document read. “[The failure to fulfil the request filed on January 1] depicts the sorry state of the RTI law.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2016.