K-P gives more funds for 29 sectors

Education sector gets the largest share of enhanced development pie

PESHAWAR: In a departure from past practices, the provincial government has issued 50 per cent additional funds for development schemes in 29 sectors during the fiscal year 2019-20.

However, the provincial finance department has imposed a ban on transferring funds issued for specific schemes to use them for any other purpose other than what they were requisitioned for.

A detailed financial report for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) shared with The Express Tribune showed that Rs20.42 billion had initially been allocated for the agriculture sector. However, the provincial government has now decided to provide an extra Rs1.5 billion for the sector. For the religious and minority affairs sector, an additional Rs118.1 million, Rs174m for the board of revenue, Rs278.6 million for building, Rs4.15 billion for primary and secondary education, Rs265.7 million for energy and power, Rs18 million for environment Rs37.5 million for the excise and taxation department have been released.

The report stated that the provincial finance department had received an additional Rs82.6 million, the food department an additional Rs148.6 million, forest department an additional Rs2.035 billion,  health Rs734.7 million, higher education Rs2.021 billion, interior department Rs641.6 million, housing Rs147.5 million, industry Rs224.4 million, information department Rs17.9 million, and labour Rs25.9 million.

Further, the local government department received an additional Rs1.24 million, minerals Rs65.6 million, multi-sector development Rs562.7 million, research and development Rs413.7 million, population welfare Rs18.5 million, relief and rehabilitation Rs560 million.

The additional funds released for social welfare were Rs106.6 million, sports and tourism Rs1.085 billion, science and technology Rs114.1 million, transport Rs943.5 million and a further Rs943.5 million for urban development.

PDWP approves 18 projects

Two days after approving 16 projects worth Rs15.39 billion, the K-P Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on Thursday approved 18 projects worth Rs15.118 billion.

The PDWP meeting was chaired by Additional Chief Secretary, Atif Rehman and considered a total of 22 projects in different sectors. However, four projects were deferred and returned to their respective departments for rectification of anomalies.

The projects in the roads and bridges sector which were approved include the construction of roads in the Kehal, Central Urban, Malikpura, Nawanshahr, Shiekhul Bandi, Kakul, Mirpur, Banda Pir Khan and Cantonment union councils in Abbottabad.

Another project approved was to convert the Katlang Bazaar-Doranabad Chowk road in Mardan into a dual-track road. Similarly, the PDWP approved to dualise a five-kilometre stretch of the Dalazak road in Peshawar from the Ring Road Chowk towards the Grid Station.

Further, internal roads in PK-10 will be constructed.

The PDWP also approved four projects of drains, water supply and sanitation (DWSS) sector including the construction, improvement of streets, culverts and water and sanitation schemes in union councils Fatima, Babini, Gujrat, Garyala, Ghari Daulatzai, Bagicha Dheri, Shahbaz Ghari, and Bakshali in Mardan.

A gravity-flow water supply scheme from Lawaghar Dam to Karak City was also approved. The project will be built using the royalty fund.

In the healthcare sector, as many as 18 community health centres (CHCs) in South Waziristan Tribal District will be opened. Similarly, 24 CHCs or community dispensaries would be opened in North Waziristan Tribal District.

Moreover, an integrated vector control programme will be launched to prevent the spread of viral diseases.

In the sports and tourism sector, four projects were approved, including promotion of cultural activities in the newly-merged tribal districts (NMTDs), youth development package and establishment of youth facilities in NMTDs, development of roads leading to tourist areas in the Malakand Division, constructing access roads to tourist areas in the Hazara Division and an approach road to the Sheik Badin tourist site.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2019.