Punjab managed to spend 97% of allocation under its Annual Development Plan (ADP) 2020-21 and development spending was the highest in the last 10 years, said Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht.
Speaking to The Express Tribune on Thursday, the provincial minister criticised previous governments for their failure to present realistic ADPs, which were impossible to implement due to the unrealistic development plans.
The ADP 2020-21 utilisation stood at Rs300.77 billion against the total allocation of Rs308 billion in the provincial budget.
“We believe in realistic budgeting and we are happy with the utilisation of 97% of our ADP with a majority share going to priority sectors like health, education and Covid response,” he said.
“The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government is keen on ensuring maximum public sector spending to spur development and economic growth.”
He shared the government’s intention to further ramp up the pace of development in Punjab.
The minister added that the release of 100% development funds on the first day of July coupled with a stringent monitoring mechanism were reflective of the government’s resolve to lift Punjab to new heights of prosperity.
According to figures released by the Planning and Development Department, Punjab, Rs57.2 billion was allocated for the health sector in FY21, of which Rs56 billion was spent, translating into utilisation of around 99% of allocated funds.
Nearly Rs29.6 billion was allocated for school education, of which 93% or Rs27.4 billion was utilised.
The government had earmarked Rs46 billion for roads and in this case 100% of the allocated amount was used.
Apart from these, 100% of allocated funds were utilised for water supply and community development programmes, and for labour and human resource development sectors.
Similarly, 93% of the allocation was utilised for the agriculture sector, 91% for irrigation, 96% for transport sector, 98% for urban development, energy, public buildings and environment and 93% for social welfare.
The lowest utilisation in the last fiscal year was in the food sector where the government spent 77% of the allocated funds.
This sector was followed by the cooperatives sector where fund utilisation also came in at around 77%.
Planning and Development Board Chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal said that ADP utilisation at 97% in Punjab in fiscal year 2020-21 was the highest in the past 10 years.
“Development funds for all the sectors concerned were spent on new and ongoing schemes in an optimal manner,” he said. “The high utilisation percentage came mainly due to robust monitoring by the Planning and Development Board and close supervision of all the administrative secretaries concerned.”
He added that the health sector had been the top priority of the government primarily because of Covid-19.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2021.
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