PESHAWAR, March 23: The provincial government has asked the district governments to ensure utilization of funds, provided under the Khushal-i-Pakistan Programme, by the end of June.

According to officials, many of the district governments could not ensure 100 per cent utilization of the funds by Dec 31, 2003, the deadline set for the completion of schemes launched under phase-I, II and III of the KPP.

A sum of Rs2.1 billion was released to the 24 district governments to execute small schemes under phase-III, launched by the last military government with the dual objective of reducing poverty with news jobs and improving infrastructure facilities and services at the grass roots.

A total of 4,477 schemes were approved under phase-III. Of these, 249 schemes have yet to be completed. There are hundreds of other incomplete schemes which were launched under phase-I and II.

Originally, the government wanted the district governments to ensure 100pc utilization of the KPP funds by June 30, 2003. Later, the date was extended to Dec 31, 2003 to complete the ongoing projects.

The sources said that some of the districts could not meet the deadline because the authorities concerned took too much time to identify, plan and launch the schemes.

In the snow-bound and remote parts of some of the districts, work remained suspended in winter, delaying the completion of certain schemes. The districts that failed to utilize the KPP funds are Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Hangu, Karak, Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra, Kohistan, Dera Ismail Khan, Lakki Marwat, Buner, Swat, Chitral, Dir (Upper) and Dir (Lower). According to official record, Rs1.98 billion has been utilized and a total of 4,136 schemes have been completed.