P&D set to receive Rs14b with 100pc raise

LAHORE: The Punjab government has specified Rs 14billion for Planning and Development which is 100 per cent higher than the financial year 18-19 allocation of Rs 7 billion.

Out of the total allocated amount Rs5.68 billion have been allocated for 45 ongoing development schemes, Rs 1.619b for 30 new schemes and Rs 6.697b for three schemes under the scheme of Other Development Programme (ODP).

The P&D aims at bringing the less-developed areas of Punjab on a par with developed areas by providing equal opportunities of employment and income generation for improving the living standard of people.

A comprehensive strategy has been evolved to maintain adequate flow of development resources to the backward areas of Punjab to remove regional imbalances which includes targeted poverty alleviation schemes for the less-developed areas, improved delivery of public services through provision of infrastructure and other basic amenity schemes, encouragement of private sector participation in public sector through public-private partnership and capacity building of public sector employees.

Under the P&D development programme, there are several new initiatives, including construction/rehabilitation of water supply pipelines in Cholistan, construction/rehabilitation of road network in Cholistan, capacity building of ABAD and research and development/technical support fund for academia. In order to cater for the development needs of South Punjab, regional office of P&D would be established in Multan.

The targets for financial year, 2019-20 include training of 90,000 youths, including 40 per cent girls, under Skill Development Programme, 210 community physical infrastructure schemes, 16,000 small ruminants, two goats packages, 832 small plots and 882 low-cost housing units would be constructed for livelihood enhancement under Southern Punjab Poverty Alleviation Project (SPPAP) in 10 districts of South Punjab i.e. Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, D.G. Khan, Layyah, Bhakkar, Mianwali and Khushab.

The plans include construction of 13 Cholistan linkage roads, 10 new water supply pipelines and rehabilitation of eight existing roads by Cholistan Development Authority. New linking roads and 71 community development facilities under Tribal Area Development Project (TADP) would be completed. Welfare scheme for transgender people would be launched by PSPA to provide livelihood and social inclusion of vulnerable and ignored segment of society.

Linkage of private sector with academia for short term technical support and impact assessment would be developed through R&D Fund.