ISLAMABAD, May 13: The government has been able to utilize only 20 per cent of Rs10.45 billion budget allocation for development of core social sectors till December 31, 2001.

Total utilization that stood at Rs2.3 billion was around 46 per cent of the total funds of Rs4.279 billion released by the finance division up to December 2001, the second quarter progress report on PSDP projects shows.

The report was reviewed by President Gen Pervez Musharraf last weekend with the observations that monitoring of the PSDP projects be made more effective.

Under the rules, the unutilized budgetary allocations could not be carried over to the next year and lapse at the end of the financial year.

Under the public policy and audit rules, non-utilization of funds fall under inefficiency and malpractice because this means that certain deserving sectors of the country were deprived of the public money.

An amount of Rs8.1 billion out of a total allocation of Rs10.45bn for Public Sector Development Programme 2001-2002 remained unutilised up to December.

The review of 70 development works carried out by the ministries of women development and social welfare, education, health and population welfare categorised 57 per cent projects as poor, five per cent as sick and 24 per cent as satisfactory.

Only 10 per cent projects were started anew, with just one per cent completed.

The ministry of education witnessed snail paced development work as only Rs160 million were utilized for 50 projects against the PSDP allocation of Rs4.25billion. The ministry was unable to utilize a major fraction of Rs1.76 billion released by the finance division up to December.

The ministry of health was allocated an amount of Rs4.42 billion for 13 projects under the PDSP 2001-2002. The ministry utilised Rs1.56 billion of the Rs1.62 billion funds released.

The ministry of population welfare was allocated Rs1.74 billion for completing five projects with Rs880 million released by the finance division. The ministry utilized 563 million of the released amount till December.