KP releases over Rs 79b uplift funds to depts so far

PESHAWAR: The KP government during the current financial year has released a total development fund of over Rs 79 billion rupees to various departments which is the highest amount released during the first two quarters in the last five years.

This was stated at a mid-year review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan. It was held to take stock of the progress including fund utilization on the developmental projects of the Annual Development Program (ADP) 2020-21. Besides Chief Secretary Kazim Niaz and Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir, the meeting was attended by administrative secretaries of all the provincial departments, said an official handout.

The participants were given a detailed briefing about the progress made so far by various departments on their respective developmental schemes, status of fund release for the projects and current status of fund utilization by these departments.

The participants were informed that during the current financial year a total development fund of more than 79 billion rupees had been released to various departments so far which is the highest amount released during the first two quarters in the last five years. It was informed that the overall fund utilization rate during the first two quarters of the current financial year had been quite satisfactory as compared to that of the first two quarters of last years.

The chief minister directed the relevant senior officials to improve the fund utilization and ensure fund utilization by the end of the current financial year. He directed all the administrative secretaries to blacklist the contractors involved in substandard work, and to suspend the relevant supervising officials.

The chair directed the departments to give special attention to the reports of Monitoring and Evaluation Cell generated for the developmental projects and to take immediate steps to remove the deficiencies in the developmental schemes as pointed out in the monitoring report adding that otherwise actions would be taken against the responsible ones.

Mahmood Khan directed the officials to finalize the PC-Is of all mega developmental projects reflected in Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) and submit the same to the relevant forum for approval, and to take necessary steps to start physical work on all the PSDP projects already approved. He directed that at least 50 percent progress should be ensured on Dera Ismail Khan Motorway and CRBC project during the next two years, adding that progress report on these projects be submitted on a monthly basis.

Briefing about the fund utilization status by the various departments, the meeting was informed that Environment Department was top of the list with 100 percent performance whereas Home Department with the 75 percent performance stood second with regard fund utilization during the first two quarters of the current financial year.

The meeting was told that a total of 839 developmental schemes were due for completion in the province and most of these DFC projects would be completed till the end of current financial year. The forum was briefed about the approval status of new developmental schemes by the various provincial departments and informed that so far a total of 300 developmental projects have been approved by the relevant forums during the current financial year adding that 199 projects were approved by PDWP, 94 projects by DDWP whereas five mega projects were approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). It was further informed that 1943 monitoring reports on developmental projects were generated during the last six months.

While briefing the forum about development projects reflected in current Annual Development Program, it was told that a total of 148 projects of Elementary and Secondary Education Department had been included in the provincial ADP with an estimated cost of Rs.115 billion adding that Rs.21 billion had been allocated for those projects in the current year budget. Moreover, 79 projects of the department were due for completion during the current financial year.

Similarly, Rs.21 billion had been allocated in the current budget for 179 projects of health department while the total estimated cost of those projects is Rs.123 billion adding that some 58 projects of Health Department are due for completion.

The meeting was apprised that, a total of 116 projects in the communication sector were due for completion during the current financial year while a total of 500 projects of roads sector were reflected in the provincial ADP. It was added that Rs 28 billion had been allocated for roads projects in the current year budget while the estimated cost of projects was Rs.271 billion.