ISLAMABAD, June 19: The Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education has received a nominal increase in its budgetary allocations from Rs1.027 billion in 2003-04 to Rs1.258 billion under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2004-05, the budget document said.
In total the ministry will execute 48 projects, of which 26 are ongoing schemes while 22 new projects have been initiated.
The original estimated cost of all 48 projects stands at Rs5.555 billion, out of which Rs2.27 billion is shown under the heading of total expenditures up to June 2004, while the remaining Rs3.29 billion has been shown as thrown forward amount.
According to the budget document, of the approved Rs1.258 billion for the women development division, Rs300 million has been allocated for Tawana Pakistan, a nutrition package for primary schoolgirls in 29 under-developed districts.
Under the Tawana Pakistan Programme, primary schoolgirls are provided lunch in the school with additional doses of vitamins etc.
The next major project is normal women development programme with an allocation of Rs140 million, followed by a Rs21 million design manuals and model project for buildings and facilities for persons with disabilities.
Other important ongoing projects are National Institute of Special Education, H-8/4, Rs 19 million; Housing Colony for Teachers and Staff of Directorate of Special Education I-9/4, Rs14 million and National Library and Resource Centre at F-7, Rs13 million.
Likewise, the National Training Centre for Special Persons, G-9/2, special education centres at Okara, Kohat, Sibbi and Hyderabad will get Rs15 million each under the PSDP 2004-05.
Am amount of Rs10 million each has been earmarked for development of park for disabled in Islamabad and conversion of five special education centres into centres of excellence.
Among the 22 new projects which the ministry has started, Gender Reform Action Plan (GRAP) tops the list in terms of allocation with Rs385 million followed by National Fund for the Development of Rural Women with an allocation of Rs100 million.
Other significant projects which the Ministry of Women Development and Social Welfare has started under the PSDP 2004-05 are special education centre at Sibbi, Rs15 million; rehabilitation centre at Hunza, Rs12 million; upgradation of four special education centres for visually handicapped children in Sialkot, Gujrat, Larkana and Mirpur, Rs14 million; upgradation of four special centres for hearing impaired in Sargodha, Jhang, Sukkur and Swat, Rs14 million.
Interestingly, the adviser to the prime minister on women development, social welfare and special education, Nilofar Bakhtiar, had been quoted a number of times in the press as saying that 10 crisis centres would be set up in the country in the upcoming financial year.
However, no such project is included in the PSDP 2004-05 for the ministry.
