PESHAWAR: Rs11bn to be spent on 407 uplift schemes this year
By Mohammad Ali Khan
PESHAWAR, July 2: The NWFP government has identified 407 uplift projects, mentioned in its Annual Development Programme (ADP), which will be completed before the end of the fiscal year 2007-08.
Data compiled by the Planning and Development Department shows that the ADP, having an outlay of Rs39.462 billion, carries a provincial component of Rs21.944 billion. This amount has been set aside to finance 953 projects, including 719 ongoing and 234 new schemes.
Of the 953 projects, being financed from the province’s own resources, 407 will be completed by the end of the current fiscal year. These include 372 ongoing and 35 new schemes that will collectively consume Rs11.162 billion.
A major chunk of the funding has been earmarked for the communications sector, in which the government plans to complete 70 projects with an allocation of Rs1.827 billion.
The health sector has also been assigned top priority, with 60 projects being allocated Rs1.88 billion. These projects are supposed to be completed in the current fiscal year.
Likewise, 45 schemes of the school and literacy department (with an allocation of Rs1.722 billion), 24 plans of the higher education sector (with an allocation of Rs454.636 million), 35 plans of the drinking water supply and sanitation department (with an allocation of Rs283.549 million), 32 schemes of the building and housing sector (with an allocation of Rs413.923 million), 32 schemes of the forestry department (with an allocation of Rs138.352 million), and 23 projects of the water sector (with an allocation of Rs739.180 million), are on the target list.
Moreover, 14 projects of the tourism sector, 16 projects of the industries sector, 18 projects of the regional development sector, eight projects of the social welfare sector, 10 projects of the agriculture sector, six each of the Auqaf and science and technology sectors, three of the power sector and one project each of the urban development and environment sectors are on the list. Collectively these projects would cost Rs2.455 billion.
The Tameer-i-Sarhad Programme (TSP), through which each member of the provincial assembly is given Rs10 million for their uplift projects, has been shown in the list of projects due for completion in the current fiscal year. An amount of Rs1.240 billion has been earmarked for such projects.
Interestingly, the implementing agencies could not spend all the development funds at their disposal during the last three years. That is why putting such projects on the completion list was unrealistic, said some officials.
