June 21, 2002	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1423

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PESHAWAR, June 20: A fair amount of developmental funds released to the education department, NWFP, for carrying out education and training sector schemes is likely to remain unutilized due to wrong planning by finance managers, according to sources.

For a total of 16 provincially-funded education and training sector schemes - including 13 ongoing schemes - the NWFP government had earmarked a collective sum of over Rs134.674 million for the 2001-02 financial year.

Though the provincial finance department released the allocated amount well before the close of the first three quarters of the current financial year, only a paltry sum of Rs36 million was be utilized.

The money utilized - during the first three quarters - makes only 26.5 per cent of the total amount released to the education and training sector, creating greater chances that out of the Rs98.9 million unspent a considerably large chunk would lapse.

“Instead of properly managing the developmental funds, the finance department released Rs134 million to the education and training sector without ascertaining whether the executing agencies would be able to utilize it or required this much amount,” said senior government functionaries.

Out of the total Rs134.674 million allocated for the education and training sector, the provincial government had specified over Rs60 million for the three primary education sector schemes, over Rs48 million for the 11 secondary education sector schemes, and over Rs25 million for the two college education sector schemes.

Against that a sum of Rs9 million could be utilized on executing the schemes falling under the purview of the primary education sector, Rs22 million on the secondary education sector schemes and around Rs5 million on executing the college education sector schemes.

“Had the finance department distributed the developmental funds among various departments on need basis the heavy funds likely to remain unspent in the education and training sector could have been utilized by diverting the same amount to some other developmental schemes,” said the sources.

According to sources, previously the planning and development department, NWFP, was authorized to release funds to the development schemes after reviewing their requirements.

However, this time round the power of making financial releases to development activities has been withdrawn form the P & D department, placing the same with the finance department which, according to sources, make 100 per cent releases to the developmental schemes on its own.

“Finance department,” said senior government functionaries, “is doing so without making any assessment in terms of reviewing the work done on specific schemes or the money required by any of the schemes”.

Several of the umbrella projects being executed in the education sector would surrender a large sum of unspent funds, according to sources.