April 04, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 15, 1428

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PESHAWAR, April 3: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has directed the heads of departments and implementing agencies to complete all development projects by June 30.

“Heads of line departments and implementing agencies will face penalties and disciplinary action if they fail to achieve the development targets,” a senior official at the planning and development department quoting the chief minister’s recently written directives told Dawn.

Considering 2007 as the election year, the MMA-led provincial government intends to get maximum development schemes, projected in the highest-ever ADP worth Rs26 billion, completed by the end of the fiscal year 2006-07.

Planners have identified the road and highway sector as the top priority area followed by education and health.

An amount of Rs2,662 million has been allocated for 163 ongoing and 13 new projects of the road sector in the current Annual Development Programme.

Under the strategy devised in the light of the chief minister’s directives, planning and development and finance departments have been directed to provide additional funding to those projects which have already consumed the allocated funds and needed more for completion before the end of the current fiscal year.

The NWFP government wanted the under-construction buildings for various public utilities completed along with civil works, another official told Dawn.

For example, the authorities concerned have been directed to start emergency services in those buildings which are being constructed for hospitals.

“This will not only help improve services delivery, but will also provide political advantages to the ruling alliance ahead of the general elections,” the official pointed out.

Officials said that overall progress on various development projects had showed slight improvement as compared to the previous year and still the implementing agencies were unable to achieve the development targets within the specified time period.

They said the agencies had utilised only 14.6 per cent funds during the first three months of the current fiscal year against the total allocation.

But the percentage-wise performance showed an improvement as by the end of the first quarter, spending on development projects was 4.9 per cent higher than the corresponding period last year.

The officials said that during the first six months, the utilisation of development fund was 50-55 per cent.

A clear picture of the development sector will appear after the third quarter review which will commence by the end of this month.

The NWFP chief minister would personally hold review meetings, the officials added.