MUZAFFARABAD, June 18: The Annual Development Programme of Azad Jammu and Kashmir for the next fiscal year, with a total outlay of Rs3300 million, including Rs2887.4 million local component and Rs412 million foreign assistance, lays focus on infrastructure sectors which get 59 per cent of the total allocation followed by 27 per cent for social sectors and 14 per cent for productive sectors.

This was stated by AJK Finance Minister Shah Ghulam Qadir at a post-budget press conference here on Tuesday.

Explaining salient features of the ADP, the finance minister said as compared to the ongoing year’s revised allocation of Rs2664.641 million, the development budget of the next fiscal year was high by 34 per cent. The 25 per cent of the total allocation would go to transport and communication sector followed by 16 per cent to local government, 14 per cent to education, 13 per cent to power, nine per cent to physical planning and housing and 8 per cent to health, he said.

The minister said 85 per cent of the allocation had been earmarked for ongoing projects, which were 441, and 15 per cent for new initiatives numbering 132. He said 133 of the ongoing projects were likely to be completed during the next financial year.

In transport and communication sector, which has got Rs827 million, 100 per cent work of 160 km new roads and repairing of 110 km existing roads would be completed in the next year. Apart from it, work on new bridges would also be started.

In the physical planning and housing sector, for which Rs290 million had been earmarked, adequate allocations had been made for greater water supply schemes in Rawalakot, Bagh, Dadyal and Sehansa, the minister said, adding Rs72 million had been earmarked for the development authorities to complete/continue their ongoing projects.

In the education sector, which got Rs458 million, the allocation for expansion and improvement of elementary education had been increased by 14 per cent. The amount would be spent on the construction of school building and provision of equipment.

The allocation for the World Bank-assisted Northern Education Project had been enhanced to Rs198 million from the previous Rs193 million in the current year, which would be spent on training of teachers, development of curriculum and construction of about 400 new primary school buildings.

An amount of Rs54 million and Rs73 million had been allocated for the construction of high school and college buildings, respectively, he said, adding the adequate allocation had also been made for the construction of sports stadiums at district and tehsil headquarters.

The allocation for health sector, that is Rs270 million, was 38 per cent higher than the 2001-02 allocation of Rs196 million, the minister said.

AJK Minister for Power Mir Akbar Khan, Chairman of Public Accounts Committee Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, Secretary of Finance Mukhtar Ahmed Khan, Additional Chief Secretary (development) Sardar Abdur Rashid and other high ranking officials were also present on the occasion.