Sindh govt utilises 58pc of development funds in July-April

KARACHI: Sindh government departments spent only 58 percent, Rs37.169 billion, out of the total disbursal of Rs63.553 billion from the provincial finance ministry in development funding in the July-April period of the current fiscal year, a document revealed on Monday.  

The data available with The News showed that the provincial government allocated Rs142 billion for the whole fiscal year under the annual development programme for 2015/16 and so the released fund made only 45 percent of the total allocation. 

The funds were released to 46 departments. 

For local government, public health engineering and rural development an amount of Rs18.76 billion was allocated. Of that, Rs10.61 billion, or 57 percent, has been released.

But, these departments have utilised Rs6.30 billion in July-April 2015/16.

The document showed that a hefty Rs350 million was allocated to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat for various schemes.

Of which, Rs61.94 million was disbursed and Rs26.48 million was used in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year.

Governor’s Secretariat used only Rs23.97 million of the total release of Rs277.16 million in this period.

Only water schemes of Thar Coal Development utilised nearly 100 percent of the release of Rs3 billion by the April-end.

The document further showed that irrigation department followed suit.

Total Rs10.146 billion, or 85 percent of the total allocation of Rs12 billion, were released to the department and it spent Rs8.53 billion in the July-April period.  

The government allocated nine billion rupees to the works and services department and released Rs6.105 billion, or 68 percent of the total allocation.

Of that, Rs3.758 billion have so far been utilised. Major spending was road construction.

The government earmarked Rs3.5 billion for various development schemes in the Board of Revenue. The board spent Rs1.266 billion out of the total release of Rs2.461 billion by the end of April.

Education department remained neglected in this period. Only Rs3.57 billion was released to the department, 36 percent of the total allocation of Rs10 billion.

The department utilised only Rs1.881 billion: Rs64.89 million was used on schemes in elementary education, Rs29.78 million for teacher education, Rs1.125 billion on secondary education and Rs653.99 million on college education.

Not a rupee was released or used for the development of the Sindh Education Foundation, although the allocation was Rs512.5 million. 

Health department was also not neglected.

The department was released only 27 percent of the allocated Rs13 billion.

And, it spent only Rs1.20 billion.

An amount of Rs398 million was utilised by teaching hospitals, Rs356 million by other hospitals and Rs386 million on medical education. Only Rs98 million was released for Preventive programme and utilisation was Rs31 million.

Further, Home Department used Rs458.4 million, 66 percent of the disbursed Rs691 million in July-April. The yearly allocation was one billion rupees.

Industries department received a modicum of Rs32.5 million, one percent of the allocated Rs2.5 billion.

But, it spent Rs5.35 million on the development.  Likewise, the data showed that the Planning and Development department utilised Rs546.9 million out of the total disbursal of Rs1.622 billion in July-April 2015/16.  The government allocated Rs3.73 billion for the department for the current fiscal year.