ISLAMABAD, May 17: Establishment of nine primary and secondary schools at a cost of Rs216 million in various sectors of the capital has been delayed due to inadequate allocation of funds by the Finance Division and slow-paced work by the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE).

Well-placed sources informed Dawn that a report sent to the Chief Executive Secretariat by the Planning Commission classified the pace of work on the projects as poor.

The schools, according to approved PC-1, were to be established in sectors G-11/I and II, F-11, I-8/3 and I-8/4.

According to the sources, the government had approved construction of two F.G. secondary schools and three primary schools in sectors G-11/I and II and F-11.

The construction of two secondary schools in sectors G-11/I and II was estimated to cost Rs76 million, the sources said.

The project, to be executed by the FDE, was designed to provide facilities of secondary education to the residents of G- 11/I and II by constructing school buildings, besides providing furniture, science labs, library books and sports material.

In the Public Sector Development Programme 2001-02, Rs10 million had been allocated for the project and the expenditure during July-December quarter was only Rs2 million. The financial utilization till December 2001 was Rs7.85 million, which is 10 per cent of the capital cost.

The project was initially expected to be completed by June 2000. “Keeping in view the physical progress, it is expected to be completed by June 2005, with a delay of five years,” sources in the Planning Commission said.

The commission, they said, had classified the pace of work on the project as poor and recommended that the Finance Division should allocate funds as per the PC-1 phasing.

The project, initially approved in 1997, remained unfunded till June 2000 and even then the allocations were not as per phasing, sources added.

Regarding construction of three primary schools in sectors G-11/I and II, and F-11, the sources said the project was designed to improve accessibility to primary level education in urban areas of the capital.

The project for primary education was approved by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) in 2000 at a cost of Rs48 million for implementation during 2000-02.

The project is not expected to be completed by June 2002 as per the schedule given in the PC-1. It is now expected to be completed with a delay of one year, the sources said.

For establishment of two F.G. secondary schools in sector F- 11, they said, the project was approved by the CDWP in 1995 at a cost of Rs49 million for implementation during 1996-1999.

The overall financial utilization of the project till December 2001 was Rs7.85 million, which is 16 per cent of the capital cost, the sources said.

The project, which had to be completed in 1999, was now expected to be completed in 2005 with a delay of six years, the planning commission sources said, adding, the Finance Division had been advised to allocate funds as per PC-1 phasing.

In sectors I-8/3 and I-8/4, the CDWP had approved establishment of two F.G secondary schools for boys and girls at a cost of Rs43 million in 1995.

The project was allocated Rs10 million in the PSDP 2001-02, but no releases were made during July-December 2001, the sources said.

The project was scheduled to be completed by June 1999, and had already been delayed by three years, they said.

About the date of completion, they said considering the pace of work, the project was expected to take at least three more years for completion, sources added.