The Punjab government has largely missed utilization targets of Rs 550 billion annual development programme 2016-17 in the first nine months of the current financial year. It is ironical that the provincial government had claimed to adopt Growth Strategy 2015-2018 aiming for a holistic approach to development and growth by employing multiple methods that cater to urban as well as rural areas.
According to ADP progress review report till 31st March, the education department could only spend 38 percent of the revised allocation of Rs 41,750 million out of which the Finance department had released Rs 36,373 million for completion of the development projects in the education sector The department only utilised 23 percent of Rs 962 million allocation in the budget on the promotion of special education.
Sports and youth affairs were the other two most neglected departments that could only spend 25 percent of Rs 5000 million funds and 2 percent of Rs 500 million allocation. Special Health Care and Medical Education were given a revised allocation of Rs 27. 967 million out of which the Finance department released Rs 17,066 million during the first three quarters of FY 2016-17, but the department could utilise only 28 percent of the revised allocation.
Primary & Secondary Health department was earmarked over Rs 22,000 million in the ADP and the Finance department released Rs 14,115 million till 31st March to provide medical facilities to the patients but the Health department could only spend 28 percent of these revised allocation.
The Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering department was allocated an amount of Rs 56,494 million for uplift of the social sector and the Finance Department released Rs 42513 million on priority basis to complete the ongoing and new projects across the province, The department could utilise only 42 percent of this allocation.
The government had separately allocated over Rs 22,000 million for urban development in the Rs 540 billion 2016-17 Annual development programme and the Finance department released Rs 20,000 million to provide civic facilities to the citizens in the province. Here again the concerned project executing agencies failed to make full use of the available funds and spent only Rs 7844 million which was 35 percent of the revised upward allocation of the funds.
The Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had been frequently presiding over high-level meetings during past 9 months to review progress on Saaf Pani Programme and other water supply and sanitation projects for which Rs 45,000 million were earmarked in the budget 2016-17. It was noted with concern in the meeting that the department could utilise only 47 percent of the released funds for different projects of this important sector during past nine months.
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