June 24, 2003	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 23,1424

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MUZAFFARABAD, June 23: The annual development programme of Azad Kashmir for the next fiscal year, with a total outlay of Rs3.830 billion, focuses on infrastructure sectors which will get half of the total allocation, followed by 36 per cent for social sector and 14 per cent for productive sectors.

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

Explaining salient features of the ADP, the finance minister said as compared to the outgoing year’s revised allocation of Rs3.6 billion, the development budget for the next fiscal year was higher by 16 per cent.

He said 29 per cent of the total allocation was earmarked for transport and communication followed by 17 per cent for local government, 13 per cent for power, 10 per cent for education and physical planning and housing and six per cent for health.

Mr Qadir said 72 per cent of the allocation was proposed for the 506 ongoing projects and 28 per cent for new 227 initiatives. He said that 55 projects had been completed in the outgoing year, while 108 were likely to be completed during 2003-2004.

The proposed allocation of Rs1,110.4 million for the communications sector was 18 per cent higher than the revised allocation of the current year, he said, adding that an effective programme for up-gradation and reconditioning of important inter-provincial and inter-district roads would be launched, including work on the construction of 305km-long roads and eight bridges next year.

An additional provision of Rs150 million had been made for construction of new roads in seven districts. Further, Rs300 million had been made available by the federal government for rehabilitation of people affected by Indian shelling, he added.

The minister said 234km roads and 24 suspension bridges would be constructed in rural areas, besides initiation of a number of water supply schemes in the local government and rural development sector for which Rs654 million had been proposed.

In the power sector, he said, phase IV of rural electrification would be launched, while billing system would also be computerized. Work on some hydropower generation projects would continue, he added.

Mr Qadir said an adequate allocation for expansion of elementary education had been made and the amount would be spent on construction of school buildings and provision of equipment.

Besides, Rs22 million had been allocated for construction of stadiums at seven places in the AJK.

In the physical planning and housing sector, substantial allocations for greater water supply schemes to provide clean drinking water in several AJK towns and for the development authorities to complete/continue their ongoing projects had been made, he added.