Punjab presents record Rs193b Annual Development Programme

LAHORE: The Punjab government has presented a Rs193.5 billion Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the year 2010-11, an increase of 10 per cent over Rs175 billion ADP in 2009-10.

The earmarked funds will be spent on 3,084 ongoing and new development schemes in the upcoming fiscal 2010-11.

The core volume of ADP is Rs182 billion while Rs3 billion has been fixed for the Danish School System, Rs2 billion for the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) and Rs6.5 billion for the Punjab Millennium Development Goal Programme.

It is the biggest development budget in the history of the province in which the social sector has been given top priority with a heavy allocation of Rs65.046 billion against previous year’s allocation of Rs60 billion.

In the social sector, Rs23 billion has been allocated for promotion of education and sports including Rs6.35 billion for higher education, Rs500 million for special education, Rs800 million for literacy and Rs1.6 billion for sports.

The provincial government has set aside Rs14.02 billion for the health department for 141 schemes including 114 ongoing and 27 new schemes.

Besides, Rs900 million has been allocated for 21 social protection schemes including five new and 16 ongoing.

It has earmarked Rs12.053 billion for execution and initiation of 156 development schemes including 150 ongoing in the regional planning sector.

The provincial government has allocated Rs53.801 billion for infrastructure development. Of that amount, Rs32.885 billion has been set aside for 420 ongoing road development schemes and not a single penny has been allocated for initiating new schemes.

In irrigation, the provincial government has allocated Rs5.93 billion for 52 ongoing and 22 new schemes.

The government has also allocated Rs6.210 billion for 385 public building development schemes including 300 ongoing and 85 new projects.

In the production sector, the government has allocated Rs7 billion including Rs3.2 billion for 34 schemes, 24 ongoing among them, of agriculture.

It has set aside Rs235 million for eight schemes of fisheries, Rs200 million for one scheme of the food department, Rs2 billion for 22 development schemes of the livestock and dairy sector, Rs220 million for 11 schemes of the industries department and Rs300 million for 21 schemes related to mines and minerals.

The services sector has got Rs6.18 billion including Rs1.205 billion for 14 schemes of information technology, Rs140 million for seven schemes of commerce and investment, Rs85 million for six schemes of labour and human resources, Rs1.104 billion for five schemes of the transport department, Rs2 billion for seven schemes of emergency services and Rs1.645 billion for 10 schemes of the tourism department.

For environment protection, the provincial government has allocated Rs335 million for 16 schemes. Besides, Rs295 million has been allocated for 16 schemes of information, culture and youth affairs, Rs276 million for 11 schemes of Auqaf, Rs215 million for three schemes of human rights and minority affairs, Rs50 million for access to justice programme, Rs4.755 billion for 16 development schemes of the Planning and Development Board.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs12 billion for the Town Management Administration, Rs19.121 billion for special infrastructure and Rs2.950 billion for special programmes.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2010.