LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated an amount of Rs842 billion for the Annual Development Programme 2024-2025, as compared to Rs655 billion in 2023-24. Out of this total, Rs331 billion is proposed for ongoing projects, Rs404 billion for the new initiatives, and Rs106.2 billion for foreign funded projects (Rs103.2 billion for Foreign Project Assistance and Rs2.9 billion for development grants).
The social sector has a share of 33%, infrastructure 29%, production sector 13%, services 5%, special initiatives 12% and others 8% in the total allocation.
Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman presented Rs842 billion Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the provincial assembly on Thursday.
Addressing the assembly members, he said the present development programme is larger than ever, reflecting revolutionary priorities of the government on the development side for the next five years.
He pointed out that the present development outlay is 28 percent higher than the ongoing development programme of Rs655 billion.
According to him, the Punjab government has allocated 33 percent of the total outlay to the uplift of the social sector, followed by 29 percent to the infrastructure, 13 percent to the production sector and five percent to the services sector while another 20 percent has been allocated for other programmes and special initiatives.
While giving the bifurcation of the social sector, he said that the Punjab government has allocated a total Rs280,850 million for the social sector. He further said that Rs42, 500 million for the school education, Rs17000 million for higher education, and Rs2000 million for special education were allocated, respectively.
For primary and special health care sectors Rs8600 million and Rs42600 million were allocated, he added. For water supply and sanitation, population, social welfare, women development Rs8000 million, Rs4000 million, Rs1400 million were allocated respectively in the fiscal year 2024-25.
He said infrastructure development is included in the top priority of the present government and keeping in view, Rs246,8 million were allocated for this sector. He told the house that various key initiatives are being included in FY 2024-25 budgets which include establishment of cancer hospital, Punjab school reorganization programme, interest free loans to farmers, social protection programmes, improvement of public transport infrastructure, sports improvement and many others.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024