Fiscal Year 2016-17: Punjab government allocates Rs 10.45 billion to P&D sector

With the objective of strengthening the social services and reducing poverty and income inequality, Punjab government has allocated Rs 10.45 billion for Planning & Development sector in its budget for the FY 2016-17. In ADP 2016-17 with an allocation of Rs 1.156 billion to Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Programme (SPPAP), 11,000 beneficiaries would be provided support to enhance their income.
Under Cholistan Development Authority, an amount of Rs 1.327 billion has been earmarked that would create a visible impact and improvement in the living quality of people of Cholistan. As per budget document, major projects and initiatives fixed for 2016-17 included: DFID assisted Punjab Economic Opportunities Programme (PEOP) for Skills Development intervention, tribal area development project for physical infrastructure development, community development and social infrastructure, IFAD assisted Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP) for livelihood enhancement, rehabilitation and construction of roads and water supply schemes in Cholistan, water resource development through construction of mini dams in Potohar and Barani areas of Punjab, rain water-harvesting project in all villages in Potohar area by ABAD through command area development, catchment treatment works (soil conservation works, plantation of forest tress), and solar energy irrigation system, promotion of alternate energy for command area development in Potohar region, construction of water supply pipeline from Kudwala to Banna Post in Cholistan, water supply pipeline extension proposed on the existing schemes district Bahawalpur, capacity building of civil servants through Master/M Phil degree and certification programme to accelerate the performance, delivery mechanism and efficiency of government servants of the Punjab, capacity building of P&D department for improved policy planning and monitoring development process in Punjab (Phase-II), capacity building of Directorate General of Monitoring & Evaluation for improved project planning, monitoring and evaluation of development projects in Punjab, Punjab sustainable development goals project, flood emergency reconstruction and resilience project (P&D component), and restructuring /revamping of Punjab Economic Research Institute to make it a viable research entity.
It may be noted that the mandate of Planning & Development sector includes provision of technical support and co-ordination to various government departments to devise strategies for employment generation and sustainable development for improving the living standards of rural & urban population of Punjab. It also deals with less developed regions of Punjab consisting of Barani tracts, sandy deserts of Cholistan, Tribal areas of D.G. Khan and Rajanpur and 11 districts of Southern Punjab.
Sources revealed that the government assigns high priority to the removal of regional disparities in the province. This objective is being achieved through direct investment in less developed areas to enhance rural household income and employment opportunities, improving infrastructure and providing financial support to enhance production and skill development of the target groups through participatory approach.
The sources said that the DFID assisted "Punjab Economic Opportunities Programme (PEOP)" initiated in 2010-11 in districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Lodhran and Muzaffargarh has now been extended to 10 more districts. Under this programme, 1,45,500 youth including 60,000 female trainees have been provided skills training. International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) has joined the efforts of Punjab government for maintaining the regional balance and poverty alleviation by launching a project "Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project" (SPPAP) in 2011-12 in the districts of Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh having a total cost of Rs 4,126 million. During the project period around 80,000 families would be provided financial supports for assets creation and livelihood enhancement in the shape of provision of Livestock animals, land to landless widows and clean drinking facilities to masses.
In ADP 2015-16, Rs 6.28 billion was allocated to the Planning and Development sector. Schemes completed during FY 2015-16 and milestones achieved are: around 20 provincial government servants have been awarded scholarship for Master Degree Programme under Punjab Capacity Building Programme-IV for policy makers and civil servants, around 52,000 youth (including 40 percent females) was provided skills development training in more than 200 trades under DFID Assisted Punjab Economic Opportunities Programme (PEOP).
Under IFAD assisted Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP), 850 low cost houses were constructed and distributed among the poorest widows of the project area. Small ruminant (2 goats package) to 9,600 poor people and vocational and entrepreneurship training to 6,700 unskilled people was provided under SPPAP. 150 community physical infrastructure (CPI) schemes initiated and completed in tribal area of Punjab through Tribal Area Development Project (TADP) and under this programme, 10,365 solar systems of 50 watts were provided to the people of the tribal area.
Construction of seven new roads initiated for which sufficient funds provided and around 48 percent civil work completed during the year 2015-16. Under Integrated Development of Cholistan, few new roads of 70km length were constructed in Cholistan. Under ABAD, 79 mini dams, 94 lift irrigation schemes and 44 dug wells were constructed in Potohar and Barani areas of Punjab. A total of 76 development projects have been evaluated by Directorate General of Monitoring and Evaluation and Under Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Road Programme (Phase I & II) TPV of 255 schemes has been conducted.