ISLAMABAD: The federal government has released Rs299.71 billion (46.12 percent) including Rs31.2 billion foreign aid for various ongoing and new development projects under the Public-Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21 against the total budgeted allocation of Rs650 billion.

According to the latest PSDP data 2020-21, released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms on Friday, the government released Rs198.344 billion (54 percent) including Rs12.38 billion foreign aid for development projects of various ministries, divisions and related departments out of Rs366.3 billion budgeted allocation.

The government also released a total of Rs76.47 billion including Rs18.2 billion foreign aid out of Rs158.3 billion for development budget of corporations; a total of Rs53.4 billion has been released for development projects of the National Highways Authority (NHA) out of Rs118.67 billion budgeted allocation, and Rs23 billion out of Rs39.65 billion has been released for the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC)/Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco).

The ministry released a total of Rs24.15 billion out of Rs52.4 billion budgeted allocation for development projects of special areas; Rs13.024 billion for development projects of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) out of Rs27.4 billion, and Rs11.125 billion for Gilgit-Baltistan for financial year 2020-2021.

The government released Rs6.885 billion out of Rs14.51 billion for development projects of the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division. A total of Rs38.22billion out of Rs47.8 billion has been released for development projects of the Cabinet Division.

The government has released Rs32.35 billion for development projects of the Finance Division against Rs66.67 billion budgeted allocation for financial year 2020-2021. The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms released Rs11.75 billion for development projects of the Railway Division against Rs24 billion budgeted allocation, Rs2.56 billion for development projects of Science and Technology Research Division, and Rs6 billion for the National Food Security and Research Division.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020