Development projects: centre yet to release funds for Foreign Affairs, Textile industry

The federal government has yet to release funds for development projects of Foreign Affairs Division, Textile Industry Division and Gas Infrastructure Development Fund under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the current fiscal year (2016-17) despite passage of over eight months.
According to details, the government has released Rs482.8 billion (60.4 per cent), including Rs122 billion foreign aid, for different development projects under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), 2016-17, against the total budgeted allocation of Rs800 billion.
According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, the government released Rs103.8 billion (44.3 per cent of total budgeted allocation) including Rs7.5 billion foreign aid for development projects of various federal ministries against the total budgeted allocation of Rs234.3 billion.
The government has released Rs150 billion including Rs66.7 billion foreign aid for infrastructure projects of National Highways Authority (NHA) against the budgeted allocation of Rs188 billion. The government has also released Rs24.34 billion for development projects of Pakistan Railways Division against total budgeted allocation of Rs41 billion for current fiscal year 2016-17.
Planning Commission released Rs17.3 billion including Rs7.3 billion foreign aid, for different projects of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission against the total budgeted allocation of Rs28.8 billion for the fiscal year 2016-17. During the period under review, an amount of Rs9.4 billion, including Rs 96.8 million foreign aid, was released for Water and Power Division (water sector) to construct and develop water reservoirs for water conservation, irrigation and power generation against the total allocation of Rs31.71 billion. A total of Rs108.78 billion, including Rs38.97 billion foreign aid, were released for WAPDA (power sector) for development power projects against the budgeted allocation of Rs130 billion.
Under the PSDP 2016-17, an amount of Rs4.66 billion was released for different development projects of Housing and Works Division against the total budgeted allocation of Rs7.6 billion. The government released Rs514.9 million for different developmental projects of National Food Security and Research Division against the earmarked Rs15.2 billion for the development of agriculture sector in the country.
The government released Rs2.19 billion for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), Rs569.9 million for Climate Change Division, Rs1.5 billion for Defence Production Division, Rs9.6 billion for Interior Division, Rs177.7 million for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority and Rs2.52 billion for Planning, Development and Reform.
Under the PSDP 2016-17, the government has released Rs8.55 billion for different projects of Higher Education Commission (HEC) against the total allocation of Rs21.486 billion.
An amount of Rs9.8 billion has been released for the National Health Services, Regulation and Co-ordination Division against the budgeted allocation of Rs24.951 billion in the PSDP to uplift health sector of the country. The government has released Rs51.7 billion for special federal development programme for temporarily dislocated persons (TDPs) and security enhancement under current year's development programme for rehabilitation of the TDPs against the total allocation of Rs100 billion.
The government has released Rs10.65 billion including Rs1.58 billion foreign aid for development projects of Azad Jammu and Kashmir against the total budgeted allocation of Rs14.7 billion for current fiscal year. The government has also released Rs4.7 billion for development projects of Gilgit-Baltistan against the Rs11.2 billion budgeted allocation, while Rs15.3 billion including Rs134.9 million have been released for the projects of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) against the total budgeted allocation of Rs22.3 billion.
Planning Commission of Pakistan has so far followed the stipulated mechanism for the release of funds; first quarter (July-September) 20 per cent, second quarter (October-December) 20 per cent, third quarter (January-March) 30 per cent and fourth quarter (April-June) 30 per cent.