LAHORE: The Punjab government ended its financial year 2020-21 with maximum utilization of allocated funds for the Annual Development Programme (ADP). The government utilized Rs 300.77 billion in total against a release of Rs 308 billion in major sectors of Punjab, according to the Planning and Development Board.
Chairman Planning and Development Board Abdullah Khan Sumbal has claimed that 97% utilization percentage of the development funds in Punjab province in the financial year 2020-21 has been the highest in the last 10 years.
He further said that the development funds of all the concerned sectors were spent on new and on-going schemes in an optimal manner. This highest percentage of utilization is mainly due to robust monitoring by the P&D Board and also by the close supervision of all the concerned administrative secretaries, he added. He further said the health remained a top priority of the government primarily because of COVID-19.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the last financial year 2020-21, Rs 57.163 billion were allocated for the health sector out of which Rs 56 billion were spent in this sector which constitutes about 99% of the allocated funds. According to the chairman P&D, more than Rs 29.6 billion was allocated for schools education and the utilization here was more than Rs 27.4 billion which comes out to be 93%.
Rs 46 billion were allocated for the roads sector and a most impressive 100% of the allocated amount was utilized. Similarly, the utilization rates were 93% of the total funds allocated for the agriculture sector, 91% for the irrigation sector, 96% for transport sector, 98% for urban development, energy, public buildings and environment and 93% for the social welfare.
He said that 100% allocated funds for roads, water supply & community development programme were utilized. Talking about the development of the province, the chairman P&D Board further said that "Punjab is moving forward" was the first and foremost consideration for the entire government and was being implemented.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021