K-P utilises only 13.39% of its development budget

Irrespective of claims, documents show a paltry 6% was spent in tribal districts

PESHAWAR: Despite having introduced its highest ever provincial budget in June, the provincial government has utilised a mere 13.39 per cent of its developmental budget for the fiscal year 209-20.

In the Newly Merged Tribal Districts (NMTDs), the province utilised only 6.17 per cent of the development budget allocated for the area.

In the budget for FY 2019-20, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), the provincial government had allocated Rs319 billion for development projects in the province, including over Rs237 billion for the settled districts and over Rs81 billion for the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas (Fata). Of this, until the beginning of February, Rs104.84 billion had been released and just Rs42.77 billion had been utilised.

From the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the settled districts, documents from the K-P finance department showed that the provincial government had released Rs92.83 billion until February 2020. Of this, only Rs37.39 billion had been utilised.

The finance department’s report showed that of the Rs81 billion set aside for development projects in NMTDs, the government has so far released Rs12 billion. But of this, a mere Rs5 billion were utilised from it.

The report further showed that in the development sectors for settled districts, Rs1 billion has been utilised in the agriculture sector, Rs30 million for hajj and religious affairs, Rs60 million for the board of revenue, Rs150 million for buildings, and Rs1 billion for irrigation. A further Rs290 million were spent on district ADP projects.

For primary and secondary education, over Rs3 billion have been utilised, Rs600 million for energy and power, Rs3 million for environment,  Rs1.22 million for excise and taxation, finance department Rs3 million, food Rs60 million, forestry Rs980 million, health over Rs3.18 billion, higher education Rs1.31 billion and interior Rs620 million, housing Rs60 million, industry Rs7.5 million have been used.

The law and justice department have utilised Rs670 million, local government Rs950 million, mineral development Rs50 million, multi-sector development Rs3.1 billion, population welfare Rs50 million, relief and rehabilitations Rs760 million, roads Rs7 billion and Rs410 million, and social welfare have utilised Rs60 million. The department of special measures has not utilised its budget of Rs550 million.

The information department has not spent a single penny out of the allocated funds over the past eight months, the report said.

The report further showed that agriculture used Rs100 million, sports and tourism spent Rs711 million, science and technology Rs4.14 million, transports Rs1 billion and Rs460 million.

Money allocated under the 10-year development plan for the tribal areas, no money has been utilised thus far.

The religious affairs, board of revenue, and environment also failed to spend any money on development projects during the past eight months.

The food department, mineral development, population welfare, science and information technologies, transports also did not use any funds allocated for them in the last eight months in the NMTDs.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2020.