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Friday March 29, 2024

Over Rs59b proposed for Water Division in upcoming budget

By Mehtab Haider
April 15, 2018

ISLAMABAD: The government has proposed allocation of Rs 59.009 billion for Water Resource Division for upcoming budget 2018-19 including Rs 18 billion for construction of much awaited Diamer Basha Dam, The News has learnt.

The government has created unique head, first time in recent history, and proposed allocation of Rs11.588 billion for priority projects under consideration.

For corporations, the proposed allocated amount of National Highway Authority (NHA) has been slashed down from Rs 319.720 billion in outgoing fiscal 2017-18 to Rs 233.300 billion, indicating that the budgetary allocation for NHA was cut down by Rs 86.42 billion for the coming budget. For NTDC/PEPCO, the proposed allocation stands at Rs 33.125 billion for upcoming budget 2018-19 against Rs 60.909 billion in outgoing fiscal year, indicating that the allocation for power sector was reduced by almost 50 percent.

According to official documents available with The News on Saturday, the proposed allocation for water sector would be standing at Rs 59.009 billion for next budget 2018-19 including Rs 44.375 billion as rupee component and Rs 14.634 billion as foreign aid against Rs 36.750 billion allocation made in outgoing fiscal 2017-18 including Rs 36.664 billion as rupee component and only Rs 106 million as foreign aid.

“Of total allocated amount of Rs 59.009 billion, the government has earmarked Rs 18 billion for physical construction of Diamer Basha Dam as the government had already procured land by utilizing over Rs 100 billion,” official sources confirmed while talking to The News here on Saturday.

The Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC) is scheduled to meet tomorrow (Monday) for recommending Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to the size of Rs 750 billion at federal level and Rs 1013 billion for provincial annual development outlays for upcoming budget 2018-19.

The overall size of PSDP at federal level was slashed down from Rs 1001 billion in outgoing fiscal to Rs 750 billion for upcoming budget so the development side was slashed down by Rs 250 billion so all ministries/divisions share was cut down with few exceptions.

The allocations for all discretionary programs such as Prime Minister’s Global SDGs Achievement Programme, Special Federal Development Programme, Clean Drinking Water for All and Energy for All were abolished for the upcoming budget as the government had earmarked Rs 95 billion for the outgoing fiscal year 2017-18.

Only the government has allocated Rs 5 billion for special provision for completion of CPEC projects in coming fiscal year. The government has allocated Rs 7.5 billion for ERRA.

The government has made bloc allocation of Rs 105 billion for relief and rehabilitation of TDPs, Security Enhancement, PM’s Youth Initiatives and Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) for upcoming budget against Rs 135 billion in outgoing fiscal 2017-18.

In the proposed PSDP for 2018-19, the government has allocated Rs 2.877 billion for Aviation Division, Rs 125 million for Board of Investment, Rs 1.066 billion for Cabinet Division, Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD) Rs 5.651 billion, Climate Change Division Rs 786.699 million, Commerce Division Rs 1.2 billion, Communication Division (other than NHA) Rs 13.997 billion, Defence Division Rs 608.197 million, Defence Production Division Rs 2.780 billion, Economic Affairs Division Rs 70.200 million, Establishment Division Rs 175.437 million, Federal Education & Professional Training Division Rs 3.286 billion, Finance Division Rs 14.015 billion, Foreign Affairs Division Rs 200 million, Higher Education Commission (HEC) Rs 37 billion, Housing & Works Division Rs 5.356 billion, Human Rights Division Rs 128.860 million, Industries & Production Division Rs 1.575 billion, Information & Broadcasting Division Rs 865 million, Information Technology & Telecom Division Rs 2.656 billion, Inter-Provincial Coordination Division Rs 2.252 billion, Interior Division Rs 19.581 billion, Kashmir Affairs & Gilgit Baltistan Division Rs 44.655 billion, Law and Justice Division Rs 1 billion, Maritime Affairs Division Rs 10.198 billion, Narcotics Division Rs 251.207 million, National Food Security & Research Division Rs 1.691 billion, National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Division Rs 25.010 billion, National History & Literary Heritage Division Rs 300.597 million, National Security Division Rs 100 million, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Rs 10 billion, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) Rs 300 million, Petroleum Division Rs 560.213 million, Planning Division Rs 17.647 billion, Postal Service Division Rs 370 million, Railways Division Rs 31.411 billion, zero allocation for Religious Affairs & Inter Faith Harmony Division, Revenue Division Rs 1.746 billion, Science & Technology Division Rs 2.3 billion, States & Frontier Regions Rs 27.755 billion, Statistics Division Rs 200 million, SUPARCO Rs 3.5 billion, Textile Industry Division Rs 222 million, Water Resource Division Rs 59.009 billion and Priority Projects under consideration Rs 11.588 billion.