The Punjab Government released funds amounting to Rs 72.670 billion for various development projects during the first four months of current financial year, ie, from July to October 2012 against the total volume of annual development programme of Rs 210 billion.
According to a report issued by the Punjab Planning and Development Department here on Wednesday, out of Rs 72.67 billion, Rs 32.458 billion have been utilised till October 2012 showing about 45 percent spending against the released funds. The utilisation is higher than the target of 32 percent envisaged up to October 2012. The report said the Punjab Government divided its core development budget 2012-13 into six parts consisting of:
(a) Social Sectors (Education, Health, Water Supply and Sanitation, District Dev. Programmes);
(b) Infrastructure Develop-ment Sector (Irrigation, Roads, Urban Dev. including BRTS);
(c) Production Sectors (Agriculture, Livestock, Food, Forestry, Fisheries);
(d) Services Sectors (I.T, Transport, Emergency, Tourism etc);
(e) Special Dev. Programmes/ Packages (District Dev. Programmes, Green Tractor Scheme and Laptop scheme) and;
(f) Miscellaneous Sectors (like Environment, Archaeology, Auqaf and P&D).
According to the details, out of a total allocation of Rs 87.151 billion the Punjab Government released Rs 27.313 billion for social sectors-education sector, health sector, water supply and sanitation sector, district development programme, etc, Rs 7.155 billion have been utilised in these sectors. Out of Rs 62.900 billion, Rs 36.766 billion were released for infrastructure development sectors which included irrigation sector, road sector and urban development sector (BRTS). Rs 20.336 billion have been utilised showing 55 percent spending of funds.
Out of budgetary allocation of Rs 8.615 billion for production sectors- agriculture sector, livestock sector, food sector, forestry and fisheries sectors, etc, a sum of Rs 2.801 billion has been released showing 35 percent spending of funds on uplift projects.
Similarly the provincial Government released an amount of Rs 1.753 billion out of an allocation of Rs 11.100 billion for the services sectors which include information technology sector, transport sector, emergency services and tourism sector, etc, 47 percent of the released funds have been utilised so far. Out of budgeted allocation of Rs 35.500 billion for special programmes/packages including district development programme, green tractor scheme and laptop scheme etc, Rs 3.877 billion were released till 31st October, 81 percent of these funds have been spent on the development projects of this sector.
The spending in the environment sector, archaeology sector, auqaf and P&D has been rather slow in the first four months of FY 2012-13 that is only 30 percent of the released funds amounting to Rs 0.160 billion. A P&D spokesman said Chief Minister Punjab is focusing on the completion of on-going development schemes of current financial year on priority basis. Moreover, under his directions funds of development schemes are being released as per their requirements.