Preceding budget: Significant education funds remain unspent

Dept refuses comment despite multiple attempts

LAHORE: Over Rs23 billion allocated for the 2015-16 fiscal year has remained unutilised, budget documents available with The Express Tribune have revealed.

According to the documents, a total of Rs23.12 billion has remained unutilised. Of this, Rs22.74 billion of the development budget remained unused. Another Rs380 million of the non-development budget has remained unutilised.

The provincial government had allocated Rs42.98 billion for the higher education, school education and special education sectors. Of this, Rs42.315 billion was allocated for development and Rs658.6 million for non development.

Of the Rs9.11 billion allocated for higher education development, Rs3.63 billion remained unused. Of the Rs32.84 billion allocated for school education development, Rs18.92 billion remained unutilised. Of the Rs365 million allocated for special education development, Rs190 million remained unused.

The provincial government had allocated Rs325 million for higher education non-development. Of this, Rs209 million remained unused. Of the Rs295 million allocated for school education non-development, Rs162 million remained unutilised. Of the Rs38.6 million special education non-development allocation, Rs9.1 million remained unspent.

School Education Minister Rana Mashhood remained unavailable for comments despite repeated attempts. School Education Department Secretary Abdul Jabbar Shaheen refused comment saying he was away on training and therefore not in a position to speak about the underutilisation of allocated funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 19^th, 2016.