The Rs1 billion allocated for minor loans in the last fiscal year have been dropped and will be amalgamated in the Khud Kafalat Scheme. DESIGN-FAIZAN DAWOOD/FILE
Unable to completely utilise development funds allocated in 2013-14 for various public welfare projects across the province, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has decided to use the remaining amount for these projects in the coming fiscal year.
The projects include the Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar Scheme, Hunarmand Rozgar Scheme, Traditional Hunarmand Scheme, scholarships for female students, funding for sports, education, eradicating deadly diseases, emergency situations in hospitals and the establishment of youth centers.
According to the government’s Special Initiatives Report, the upcoming provincial budget will not include funding for skill development up-gradation in industries and the project will be replaced by another. Moreover, Rs100 million was allocated for technical education of youth in 2013-14. However, the amount could not be utilised in the past year and will now be put to use.
Similarly, around Rs120 million allocated for the Youth Challenge Fund went unutilized and will be transferred into the next fiscal year while funds for the Ranra Scheme, amounting to Rs300 million, will also follow suit.
The Rs1 billion allocated for minor loans in the last fiscal year have been dropped and will be amalgamated in the Khud Kafalat Scheme.
A vast amount of funds allocated for the Bacha Khan Khpal Rozgar Scheme and the Hunarmand Rozgar Scheme remain in the government’s kitty which is why no additional funds have been allocated for them in the budget.
Moreover, of the Rs600 million allocated for the Youth Technical Education Scheme, Rs460 million was released. Thus, the project will continue with no additional funding next year. Likewise, the Rokhana Pakhtunkhwa Public-Private Partnership Scheme was allocated Rs1 billion, however, only Rs400 million was released for it this year which is why it too will not receive any additional funding.
No extra budget has been allocated for the journalists’ endowment fund. After last year’s allocation of Rs100 million for the Elementary and Secondary Education department, Rs200 million will now be allocated while class 9 and 10 students will also be awarded scholarships.
Of the estimated Rs500 million provided for the Iqra Farogh-e-Taleem Voucher Scheme, no funds were spent on the project and thus it is not receiving any new funds in the budget.
For sports and tourism, Rs70 million were allocated for various projects in seven districts of the province but will now cover 14 districts in the new budget allocation.
Of the Rs500 million allocation for health insurance, half the amount was released in 2013-14 and thus the same amount will carry forward to next year. Of the estimated Rs300 million allocated for immunisation coverage, only Rs100 million was released and thus the amount will transfer to the next fiscal year.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (2)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
end of fiscal year is the most cashy time for govt & bureaucrats. everything left unutilized goes to their pocket. Good to see that KPK govt is being honest about people's money. this happens when you put honest man on the job. Regards for Siraj ul Haq saab.
This news could be interpretted in three ways: 1) lack of experience slow down the use of funds, 2) resistence from corrupt system (contractors and beauracracy) and stubborness of honest government, did not let spill the public money through cracks, 3) when you are honest about people money, instead of wasting it, you can always use it next year.