ISLAMABAD: National Highway Authority (NHA) was the highest recipient of development funds under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2018-19 and 2019-20 with release of Rs425 billion followed by Water Resources with Rs 191 billion and Cabinet division Rs 58 billion.

According to the data available on the website of Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, the federal government released Rs 251.74 billion for NHA under PSDP 2018-19 against the budgeted allocation of Rs 188.4 billion i.e. Rs 63 billion additional than the budgeted amount; and released Rs 174 billion to NHA under PSDP 2019-20 against the budgeted allocation of Rs 154.96 billion i.e. additional around Rs 24 billion was released for road infrastructure by the incumbent government.

Prime Minister Imran Khan when in opposition criticised the PML-N government for flawed priorities by investing in roads when social sectors were grossly under invested and openly vowed to spend more on health and education if elected.

Economic Survey (2018-2019) revealed that Pakistan's expenditure on education as percentage to GDP was 2.4 percent which is lowest in the region.

The PML-N government had released Rs 158.5 billion for NHA during the first two years of its tenure i.e. under PSPD 2013-14 and 2014-15 against the budgeted allocation of Rs 176.59 billion and released a total of Rs 835.6 billion under PSDP against the budgeted allocation of Rs 854.2 billion for NHA during its five years tenure. The incumbent government released Rs 191 billion for Water Resources Division against the budgeted allocation of Rs196 billion under PSDP for 2018-19 and 2019-20; and Rs 58 billion for the Cabinet Division during 2018-19 and 2019-20 i.e. almost the same amount was budgeted for two fiscal years. The previous government had released Rs72.9 billion for Water Resources Division under PSDP during the first two years against the budgeted allocation of Rs 102.34 billion.

The PTI-led government released Rs 58 billion for Higher Education Commission (HEC) against the budgeted allocation of around Rs 61 billion and Rs 5.5 billion for Federal Education and Professional Training Division against the budgeted allocation of over Rs 8 billion under PSDP 2018-19 and 2019-20.

The previous government had released Rs 39.55 billion for HEC under PSDP during the first two years against the budgeted allocation of Rs 45.43 billion; and released Rs 5 billion for Federal Education and Professional Training Division under PSDP during the first two years against the budgeted allocation of Rs9 billion.

The incumbent government released Rs 11 billion for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination against the budgeted allocation of over Rs 19 billion under PSDP 2018-19 and 2019-20.

The previous government had released Rs 5.8 billion for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination under PSDP during the first two years against the budgeted allocation of Rs 5.1 billion.

The incumbent government released around Rs 33 billion for Railways under PSDP against the budgeted allocation of around Rs 40 billion for 2018-19 and 2019-20.The PML-N government had released Rs 54.46 billion under PSDP during the first two years of its tenure against the budgeted allocation of Rs 70.46 billion. The higher releases were believed to be one of the reasons behind improvement in Pakistan Railways at that time.

For National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC)/PEPCO, the current government released Rs 40 billion during 2018-19 and 2019-20 under PSDP against the budgeted allocation of Rs68 billion. The previous government had released Rs 134.3 billion for WAPDA (Power) under PSDP during the first two years against the budgeted allocation of Rs 117.6 billion. During its five years tenure the PML-N government released Rs 451.9 billion against the budgeted allocation of Rs432.4 billion.

The PTI government authorized release of Rs1.13 trillion for various ongoing and new projects under PSDP 2018-19 and 2019-20 against the budgeted allocation of Rs1.376 trillion. The previous government had released a total of Rs 837.3 billion under PSDP for various projects during the first two years of its tenure against the budgeted allocation of Rs1.065 trillion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020