The Sindh government has frozen Rs 133 billion funds of Annual Development Program (ADP) 2010-11 to undertake relief and rehabilitation of the flood affected people in the province, Business Recorder learnt on Tuesday.
The funds for all new development schemes, costing more than Rs 100 million, and for the revised schemes Rs 360 million, have been frozen so as to ensure rehabilitation of the millions of people badly affected by the flood in the province, sources said.
They said that the chief minister verbally issued orders to Secretary, Finance, Dr Fazaullah Pechuho and Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Mohammad Siddique Memon recently, and added that funds for ongoing schemes worth over Rs 100 million and revised development schemes of Rs 360 million would only be issued after approval of the chief minister.
This year, the development budget had been significantly increased by Rs 25 billion against last year's allocation of Rs 90 billion, sources said, adding that the ratio of allocation was made on 70:30 percent ie ongoing and new schemes.
The breakup of the allocations included more than Rs 11.3 billion for transport and communication, Rs 8 billion for education sector, Rs 5.80 billion for health sector, Rs 1 billion for promotion of investment by the Board of Investment, livestock, fisheries and food Rs 3.551 billion, agriculture sector Rs 3 billion, physical planning and low-cost houses Rs 6.400 billion, irrigation and power Rs 4 billion, industries and commerce Rs 1.356 billion, coal and energy Rs 1.970 billion, village electrification and alternative energy Rs 1.580 billion, provision of Sui gas facility to villages and towns Rs 1 billion and Rs 406 million for development of mines and minerals in the province.
Besides, an amount of Rs 29 billion had also been earmarked for special projects and Rs 9.45 billion for others sectors including women development, culture and tourism, social welfare, labour and manpower, sports and youth affairs and the Economy Policy Research (EPR), sources said.
But unfortunately, the worst ever super flood badly affected millions of people, compelling the federal and provincial governments to change their budget priorities and divert the development and non-development funds for the relief and rehabilitation of the flood survivors and to restore infrastructure. Sources said that the administrative departments had been directed to float a summary for the funding of the schemes cost over Rs 100 million for the chief minister in case the important scheme was disturbed.
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