The federal government has released Rs429.17 billion (61.2 percent) including Rs85.17 billion foreign aid (66.4 percent) for various ongoing and new development projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2019-20 against the budgeted allocation of Rs701 billion.

According to the latest data of PSDP 2019-20 released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms Saturday, the government has released Rs190.87 billion (62.85 percent) including Rs11.236 billion foreign aid for development projects of various ministries, divisions and related departments out of Rs303.66 billion budgeted allocation.

The government also released a total of Rs136.68 billion (69.2 percent) including Rs70.85 billion (78.2 percent) foreign aid out of Rs197.5 billion for development budget of corporations; Rs125.264 billion including Rs63.54 billion foreign aid for the projects of National Highways Authority (NHA); and Rs11.42 billion including Rs7.3 billion foreign aid for the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC)/Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco).

The ministry released a total of Rs33.59 billion (75 percent) including Rs2.35 billion foreign aid out of Rs44.85 billion budgeted allocation for development projects of special areas; Rs20.75 billion including Rs1.52 billion foreign aid for development projects of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK); and Rs12.84 billion including Rs833.934 million foreign aid for Gilgit-Baltistan for the financial year 2019-2020.

The government released Rs26.78 billion for Security Enhancement against Rs32.5 billion budgeted allocation.

The government released Rs30.1 billion for the development projects of the Cabinet Division against Rs37.986 billion total budgeted allocation, Rs1.64 billion for development projects of the Aviation Division against the total of Rs1.27 billion budgeted allocation, which is more than Rs0.47 billion of allocation, Rs6 billion for development projects of the Climate Change Division, Rs50 million for Commerce Division, Rs1.36 billion for Defense Production Division, and Rs6.84 billion for the Finance Division.

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms released Rs10.14 billion for development projects of the Railway Division against Rs16 billion budgeted allocation, Rs2.12 billion for development projects of Science and Technology Research Division, Rs4.24 billion for Revenue Division, Rs732 million for Industries and Production Division, Rs208.48 million for Information and Broadcasting Division, and Rs3 billion for Information Technology and Telecom Division.

The ministry said that Rs2.2 billion had been released for development projects of the Federal Education and Professional Training Division out of Rs4.796 billion budgeted allocation, and Rs22.71 billion including Rs83.26 million foreign aid have been released out of Rs29 billion for the development projects of the Higher Education Commission.

The government released Rs6.09 billion out of Rs9.85 billion for development projects of the Interior Division and Rs7 billion for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division. A total of Rs19.9 million have been released for the Foreign Affairs Division against Rs29.77 million budgeted allocation.

The ministry released Rs51.57 billion for Water Resources Division including Rs 4.7 billion foreign aid, Rs 931.66 million for Planning, Development and Reform Division, Rs 58.5 million for Narcotic Control Division, Rs 229.4 million for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority and Rs 81 million for Textile Industry Division.

A total of Rs 251.59 million has been released for development projects of the Defense Division, and Rs8.167 billion for the National Food Security and Research Division. The government released Rs2 billion for the development projects of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra).

A total of Rs23 billion funds have been released out of Rs48 billion budgeted allocation under the merged areas (Fata) 10 Years Development Plan. The government released Rs9.683 billion out of Rs24 billion budgeted allocation for development projects of the merged districts in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The funds are released as per quarterly ceilings; first quarter (July-September) 20 percent, second quarter (October-December) 30 percent, third quarter (January-March) 30 percent, and fourth quarter (April-June) 20 percent.