PSDP 2017-18: funds for uplift projects of various ministries not yet released

The government has not yet released funds for development projects of 27 federal ministries, divisions and their departments under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18. However, the government has released maximum funds for Prime Minister''s special programmes. According to Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms website, the government has released Rs 78.7 billion , 7.9 per cent of the budgeted allocation of Rs 1001 billion- for development projects of various ministries under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2017-18.
Federal government released Rs 15.7 billion out of Rs 305.3 billion budgeted allocation for various ministries and their departments. The government has not released funds for development projects of Aviation Division, Cabinet Division, Defence Division, Defence Production Division, Establishment Division, Foreign Affairs Division, Higher Education Commission, Federal Education and Professional Training Division, Housing and Works Division, Industries and Production Division, Information & Broadcasting Division, Inter Provincial Co-ordination Division, Interior Division, Law and Justice Division, National Security Division, National History & Literary Heritage Division, Information Technology and Telecom Division, Interior Division, Law and Justice Division, Textile and Industry Division, Ports and Shipping Division and Statistics Division.
The government has also not released funds for development projects of National Highway Authority (NHA) and Ministry of Water and Power (Power Sector). The government has not released funds for development projects of Special Federal Development Programme, Energy for All, and Special Provision for Completion of CPEC Projects, Clean Drinking Water for All and Gas Infrastructure Development Cess.
According to data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, the government released the entire funds of Rs 30 billion for Prime Minister''s Global Development Programme and Rs 3.2 billion out of Rs 20 billion budgeted allocation for Prime Minister''s Youth and Hunarmand Programme.
The government has released Rs 929 million for Capital Administration and Development Division against the budgeted allocation of Rs 5.2 billion, Rs 2.6 billion for Communication Division (other than NHA) out of Rs 13.7 billion budgeted allocation, Rs 163 million for Commerce Division, Rs 163 million for Climate Change, Rs 300.2 million for Finance Division, Rs 61.25 million for Human Rights Division, Rs 3.48 million for Narcotics Control Division and Rs 322.8 million for National Food Security and Research Division.
The government also released Rs 8.6 billion for Development projects of Railway Division, Rs 123 million for National Security Division, Rs 46 million for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Rs 723 million for Petroleum and Natural Resources Division, Rs 223.8 million for Planning, Development and Reforms Division, Rs 93 million for Revenue Division, and Rs 40 million for Water and Power Division (Water Sector).
The government has released Rs 14.387 billion for Special Federal Development Programme for Temporarily Displaced Persons (TDPs) and Security Enhancement against Rs 90 billion budgeted allocation and Rs 900 million for development projects of Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) out of Rs 7.5 billion budgeted allocation.
Under PSDP-2017-18, an amount of Rs 4 billion was released for development projects of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The government also released Rs 5.58 billion against 18.3 billion budgeted allocations for development projects of Gilgit-Baltistan, while Rs 4.89 billion has been released for the projects of Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) against the total budgeted allocation of Rs 26.9 billion.
The Planning Commission of Pakistan follows the stipulated mechanism for 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. With three weeks left for the current fiscal year to end the government could release more funds for the budgeted PSDP 2016-17.