Lingering development? Only 5.8% of ADP for 2015-16 utilised in first quarter

Only Rs8.3 billion, or 34.5%, used from Rs24 billion

PESHAWAR:

A majority of the departments in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government have yet to utilise funds allotted to them during the first quarter of the financial year.

According to documents available with The Express Tribune, the departments have availed only 5.8% of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for fiscal year 2015-16. The province had specified Rs142 billion for its ADP for FY 2015-16.

As per the documents, the government released Rs24 billion from the ADP for all departments during the first quarter. The amount was to be used for a series of projects. However, only Rs8.3 billion – which amounts to 34.5% of funds released for the first quarter – has been utilised. In addition, Rs42 billion has been earmarked for the district governments. However, the document suggest funds have not been utilised to date.

The other view

If the documents and officials of the P&D department are to be believed, a delay in the submission of PC-1, slow progress in ongoing projects and the non-utilisation of ADP funds for districts were witnessed in the first quarter.

However, an official told The Express Tribune on Sunday the roads sector has fully utilised funds released for the first quarter.

According to insiders, various government departments held their first quarter review meeting on October 15 to discuss progress on the use of ADP funds. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. During this moot, the CM was briefed by the secretary of planning and development (P&D) department.



In his presentation, the secretary said last year 5.9% of the funds released for the first quarter were utilised. He told Khattak the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) had worked far more efficiently than in 2014 as it had considered 204 development projects and approved 164 of them. However, in the first quarter of 2014, only 98 projects were considered. Of these, only 74 projects were approved.

Testing the waters

When asked about delays in the utilisation of funds, P&D Chief Coordinator Syed Zahir Ali Shah, said progress on ADP funds has always remained slow in the first quarter of the fiscal year. “This is largely because the departments focus on paperwork rather than actual work on the ground,” he said.

According to Shah, a majority of the departments begin to do real work during the third and fourth quarters. “Last year, the government utilised 90% of the total ADP --  a target that has never been achieved in the past.

P&D Secretary Zafar Ali Shah and K-P Spokesperson and special assistant to CM Mushtaq Ghani were not available for comments despite repeated attempts to contact them.

All-out efforts

The government has set a target for departments to utilise 40% funds during the second quarter that ends on December 13.

Insiders familiar with the matter said the departments have been asked to expedite the submission of PC-1. They were also allowed to divert funds to fast-track projects for their early completion. In addition, the finance department has been asked to immediately ensure 50% release of allocations to each sector.

The government has decided to give priority to schemes with a financial success of over 70%. Meanwhile, schemes that have shown less than 25% success over the last two years can be scrapped.

The secretaries of all departments have been asked to hold monthly progress reviews and submit a report to the P&D department. Similarly, the finance department is expected to immediately release funds to local bodies in consultation with the local government. Both the provincial and local governments have been asked to avail their funds under their respective policies and prevent an overlap in their use.

The local government has been tasked to keep close contact with the information department and help select suitable sites to install signboards for projects in all districts.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2015.