The federal government released Rs129.2 billion for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) in the first 10 months of the 2010-11 fiscal year, including Rs17.3 billion released in April.
According to a document of the Ministry of Finance, Rs48.4 billion had been released for infrastructure projects from July-April 2010-11, Rs84 billion for social sector and Rs3 billion for other development projects.
In the federal budget, a total of Rs106 billion was earmarked for infrastructure projects, which was later reduced to Rs63 billion. Similarly, the social sector was allocated Rs128 billion, which was slashed to Rs84 billion while Rs8 billion was allocated for miscellaneous projects and departments and this amount was later cut to Rs3 billion.
According to the document, the total number of approved projects for PSDP was 1,822 with an estimated cost of Rs4,095 billion. Of these projects, the cost of running projects was Rs3,150 billion.
In the budget, the government had allocated Rs280 billion for PSDP for the current fiscal year but later revised it downwards to Rs242 billion and then to Rs150 billion.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2011.
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