For fiscal year 2009-10, the provincial local government and community development department (LG&CD) has demanded Rs 9.360 billion for its six ongoing and two new development schemes. Sources in the Punjab Civil Secretariat told Business Recorder on Wednesday that for the ongoing schemes.
The LG&CD has demanded Rs 2.5 billion for katchi abadis, Rs 3.182 billion for Punjab Development Programme (PDP), Rs 1.8 billion for South Punjab Development Programme (SPDP), Rs 200 million for Modern Village Scheme (MVS), Rs 500 million for Clean Drinking Water Project (CDWP) and Rs 855 million as matching grant (under the Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company) for the development of 29 Tehsil Municipal Authorities (TMAs).
"Although the clean drinking water project was started by the Federal government, however the Punjab government has agreed to fund it from its own resources. Also, Punjab Municipal Development Fund Company-related on-going schemes were initiated with the World Bank financial assistance, which was fixed at Rs 500 million. Only community welfare-related projects fell under this development scheme and only those TMAs were included that provided land for development," they added.
According to them, the LG&CD has also decided to start two new schemes during the next fiscal year, including Anjuman Masahlet Project (AMP) and Strengthening Governance Project (SGP), and for these new schemes, the department has demanded Rs 36 million and Rs 273 million, respectively. The AMP is a two-year project at an estimated cost of 167.150 million.
The Punjab government would share only Rs 50 million in two years, while the UNDP would provide the remaining amount. It is aimed at gender justice through activating AMPs at local level across the province. "SGP is a three-year project with an estimated cost of Rs 1.9 billion and aims to build capacity of district governments in order to improve their functioning and efficiency. The project would be initiated at all divisional headquarters," they added.