Less than 25% of KP development budget utilised

E-Paper | October 17, 2026

Less than 25% of KP development budget utilised

Ali Akbar Published March 28, 2015

PESHAWAR: A document released by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government showing the sector-wise allocation of the KP budget for Annual Development Projects (ADPs) for 2014 – 2015 displays scant utilisation of the budget assigned to the province for development.

During the past nine months, of the total Rs139,764 million budget, Rs85,988m (61 per cent) has been released, of which Rs33,864m — 24pc of the total ADP budget — has been spent on sector-wise development projects.

The document reveals poor utilisation of funds allocated for the labour sector in KP. The labour sector is allocated an estimated budget of Rs26 million ─ only 0.02pc of the total budget. However, although all funds for the budget have been released, less than 1pc have been utilised.

Five sectors allocated the smallest proportion of the total budget:

Labour ─ Rs26m (0.02pc)

Environment ─ Rs57m ( 0.04pc)

Auqaf, Hajj, religious and minority affairs ─ Rs149m (0.11pc)

Transport ─ Rs200m (0.14pc)

Information ─ Rs224m (0.16pc)

Of the largest chunk of the estimated budget assigned to the elementary and secondary education sector —at Rs19,902m ─ only 37pc has been spent of the 61pc released.

Five sectors allocated the largest proportion of the total budget:

Elementary and secondary education ─ Rs19,902m (14pc)

Roads ─ Rs17,307m, (12pc)

Regional development ─ Rs16,994m (12pc)

Health ─ Rs11,207m (8pc)

Urban development ─ Rs8,760m (6pc)

According to bureaucratic sources, delays in the decision-making process, and strict rules and regulations are to blame for the poor utilisation of funds.

The source added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in a meeting expressed his displeasure over the weak utilisation of budget funds, and had ordered the expenditure of at least 40pc of the provincial budget. The previous KP government was criticised for lapsing billions of dollars allocated to ADPs.

The current KP government, however, has displayed commitment towards pursuing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)for 2015.

In a bid to eliminate power shortages from the province, the PTI government launched a Green Growth Initiative (GGI) in 2014, following which it declared war against timber smugglers and explored various energy options for off-grid localities.

The government's 'Sehat Ka Ittehad' anti-polio drive has also been praised by Bill Gates and touted as a viable model for polio drives in other provinces.

In order to facilitate conflict resolution, PTI Chairman Imran Khan launched dispute resolution committees to dispense quick and cheap justice for those who can't afford litigation and attorneys.

However, not all of PTI's efforts towards a 'Naya Pakistan' have been successful. The afforestation drive, a part of the GGI, has been hit by a shortage of funds and saplings ─ even though 60pc of the forestry budget has yet to be spent.

The situation for sanitation in lesser-developed areas of the province is still bleak, and under-enrollment in one fifth of the schools in the province is proving to be a financial liability on the government.

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A Troll From Nowhere

Mar 28, 2015 01:56pm

New KPK.....huh!

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naveed

Mar 28, 2015 02:12pm

If proper utilisation of only 24pc is showing a change its better than waste of spending 100pc ,as has been in the past governments.

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Omar

Mar 28, 2015 02:19pm

Yes, under utilization is far worse than wasting money on projects going nowhere. Like the expressways.

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Sajid

Mar 28, 2015 02:19pm

I am from PTI KpK....but Khattak's performance has been pathetic so far..Mr Khan is not talking to people onda ground...just taking breifings from KpK govt team is making KpK people suffer

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wasim haider

Mar 28, 2015 02:25pm

PTI should concentrate seriously in development work. It is shameful to just get the money and do nothing.

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ashok kumar lal

Mar 28, 2015 02:28pm

imran---keep it up.

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Riaz

Mar 28, 2015 02:28pm

KPK government fails again after inflicting a loss of Rs billion to the province earlier; very well done Naya Pakistan. How a party, which fails in development of a small province, can ensure development of the entire country. False slogans don't help.

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Imran

Mar 28, 2015 02:29pm

Let the local body elections be held and then see the funds utilization. IK is against the funds released to MPAs or MNAs from the very first day

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omer khan shaheen

Mar 28, 2015 02:31pm

So little has been spent yet one can see wider roads, better schools, better health care facilities, cleaners-working at 11:00pm, and safety. Bravo PTI!!! You are doing a great job!!! "Things missing in your budget today is room for corruption, which I am sure is making a lot of people very very angry."

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gulzar khan

Mar 28, 2015 02:32pm

most of the budget has been spent on education. bravo PTI, thats what we need, to educate the nation. and as for the unspent budget, atleast its not stolen by corrupt politicians like in the past. slow and clean progress is far better than the corrupt progress.

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Mar 28, 2015 02:32pm

This is called transperancy

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Haider Rehman

Mar 28, 2015 02:44pm

KP govt is at least accountable to release documents without lies. And Dawn can we have similar infograms on other provinces?

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abid

Mar 28, 2015 02:49pm

at least 10 more dams out of 360 could have been constructed this year... ..

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khalid

Mar 28, 2015 02:51pm

Stupid head lines by Dawn so far , they can't see more spending on health Nd education but they are more intersted in showing negativity, it's just a shame.

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Usman Ghani

Mar 28, 2015 02:56pm

I think reader should take this report as a net positive. It is better that funds are being under utilized than spent on corruption or unnecessary projects.

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Dr. Khan

Mar 28, 2015 02:57pm

Well the whole KPK government and its machinery was involved in Dharna; how could they ever focus on the developmental goals.... keep up the self-destructing politics PTI

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Bob

Mar 28, 2015 03:10pm

We can quote this as a better axample of incompetency when educating our youth.

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roarwali

Mar 28, 2015 03:18pm

It will take some time to streamline the procedures and make the best use of the funds. Also, a friend told me the clerks in Secretariat Peshawar are unhappy because they cannot make unfair money now. But still there is some incompetency in place on the part of KPK government.

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TaDaa

Mar 28, 2015 03:21pm

The good thing is all these documents are released by KPK government themselves rather than some foreign agency like amnesty international etc

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phatwangun

Mar 28, 2015 03:27pm

Its good that despite low utilization of funds people are feeling a change.PTI must up the tempo.Good luck to them.

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ali ahmed

Mar 28, 2015 03:31pm

may be budget utilized in the dharna

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Khan

Mar 28, 2015 03:36pm

pti is a dream of pak young generation exactly the resurgence pak needs!

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Waqar

Mar 28, 2015 03:38pm

@omer khan shaheen From where did you see the road.. from satellites? I live in KPK and life is miserable. I feel ashamed when I get into provincial capital through narrow and encroached roads over hours.

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Usher

Mar 28, 2015 03:39pm

@naveed I hope majority thinks other way around. My friend gross underutilization of development budget is a crime and considered a poor performance throughout the world. Its an indicator of inefficient government system. An efficient but a little corrupt system is better than a honest but inefficient system.

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Usher

Mar 28, 2015 03:40pm

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Waqar

Mar 28, 2015 03:42pm

@gulzar khan Having mantra of equal education from past, haven't seen any step towards it yet in last two years. Taking contents from Chapter 18 and appending it to Chapter 11 doesn't mean improving course contents. It only creates printing tenders opportunities for the close ones. We really hated ANP but I can now admit that the deliverable they gave to Education particularly to primary education is such that no one can meet them by any standards.

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Maqsood

Mar 28, 2015 03:48pm

WOW, New KPK.

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Yousuf

Mar 28, 2015 03:51pm

Request to all stats gurus.....atleast KPK government is honest in doing, what about the greater Punjab and other provinces? can they present the numbers? I am sure not.. Thanks.

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Maqsood

Mar 28, 2015 03:52pm

This is only a slogan-- ( New Pakistan)

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citizen

Mar 28, 2015 04:10pm

disappointed

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Nisi

Mar 28, 2015 04:13pm

IK The man without vision Expert in criticizing, blaming, dharnas and Jalsas but don't know how to utilities available resources and create naya KpK.....

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Dilectus

Mar 28, 2015 04:29pm

Ok Dawn now put forward the performance of party ruling Punjab for 25years. Let the people compare performance of both the parties. If you don't then we will consider it an attempt to spread negativity about PTI, even though they are spending large percentage of budget on education and health. Two most important nation building measures.

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Mar 28, 2015 04:31pm

Not corrupt but the most incompetent government of all. And yet they want to run the country.

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Muhammad Waseem

Mar 28, 2015 04:38pm

Naya Pakistan??????????????? Pakistan concentrate on Naya KPK. IK does not have time to concentrate in developing KPK where they are rulers and have their CM.

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Owais Mangal

Mar 28, 2015 05:08pm

Heaven article for Cyril to enjoy. An educated way of showing negatives.

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Reader

Mar 28, 2015 05:14pm

PTI prove your worth in KPK if you want government is the center.

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Zak

Mar 28, 2015 05:32pm

'According to bureaucratic sources, delays in the decision-making process, and strict rules and regulations are to blame for the poor utilisation of funds.' Never mind, at least corruption has been stopped unlike in Punjab, Sind, Balochistan, where funds are eaten up by the corrupt and shown as utilized. A comparison should be done with other provinces, to show, of the funds utilized how much actually got to the public and how much disappeared.

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Ahmed

Mar 28, 2015 05:35pm

The reason it hasn't been utilized because there is minimal corruption. Otherwise, the whole amount would have been expended among the corrupt as done previously. It's tax-payers money and needs to be spent sensibly and with honesty. Good work KPK govt.

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Raj Patel

Mar 28, 2015 05:41pm

Statistic is two edged sword. You got the correct data means they are transprant. No big scam means no or less corruption. Slow spending means Spending with brain at right place and not lavishly spending without planned expenditure. At the most you can blame of slow planner but you can't blame for corruption either.

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Khurram S

Mar 28, 2015 05:45pm

They may be a little lazy in spending but it also implies zero corruption.

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frkh

Mar 28, 2015 05:49pm

Perhaps the govt is ensuring transparent and corruption free spending. Also, the article fails to compare other provinces' performance.

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Dilectus

Mar 28, 2015 05:56pm

Dawn please put forward the performance of monarchs governing Punjab for last 25 years then we'll compare. Its better to not to spend money than spending on some costly, corruption laden(read metros, bridges, roads) projects like in Punjab. Money saved could be used for better social development projects.

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khan

Mar 28, 2015 06:06pm

What a shame.

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Iqbal Khan

Mar 28, 2015 06:11pm

common IK its time to prove yourself, don't let opponents finds a weakness in KP govt. or its performance.

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Fajar

Mar 28, 2015 06:25pm

Budget is provided for development and is required to spend within the budget year, 24% spending is quite pathetic it means hardly any developmental work is being done in KPK. There is no rocket science to provide furniture to school, construction of boundary wall, provision of medicines in hospitals etc etc. Slogan mongering does no work unless these are shaped in practice. Is there any justification for such pathetic state of affairs n KPK.

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SalK

Mar 28, 2015 06:35pm

Well done on bringing this to everyone's attention, Dawn. PTI in KPK still has much to learn & do & reports like these will only help. PTI better step up. We are no blind followers!

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Tahir Ashraf

Mar 28, 2015 06:48pm

Shows that the objectives are not of KPK development but to get central power !

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sreejesh

Mar 28, 2015 06:56pm

Spend funds through local self government institutions.People will definitely ensure the fund is expended with all rules and regulations in place.If individual beneficiaries are involved in any of the projects,beneficiary along with elected representatives will create head ache to the bureaucrats.If people participation is low,fund will not expended easily.

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Aman

Mar 28, 2015 07:00pm

If less spending is due to lack of corruption then can we assume that neither ministers nor bureaucrates find any incentive for spending development funds just for the sake of development.

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umar

Mar 28, 2015 07:08pm

What is the timeline for the entire budget that the KPK government has? Surely a 5 year total budget cannot be spent entirely in one year! you need to mention this.

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sadder

Mar 28, 2015 07:14pm

0% utilization of budget 100% transparency keep it up

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armin

Mar 28, 2015 07:55pm

Problem not related to PTI . Proper planning cell needs to be established in each department . Mostly departments have only one or two planning officers . In order to proper utilize ADP funds planning cells with proper staff are required in each department .

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Aurangzeb

Mar 28, 2015 08:06pm

What a deceiving head line, what do you expect to spend 100% all only in 9 months!

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Tahir Amjad

Mar 28, 2015 08:55pm

@A Troll From Nowhere .and remaining 76 % ?

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Tahir Amjad

Mar 28, 2015 08:59pm

@omer khan shaheen .r u from kpk?? Go n check DHQ . Hospital in Hari Pur. And comment.

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Ahmed

Mar 28, 2015 09:07pm

As I am living in KPK..I love my country so I will never support any corrupt leader but the reality is that KPK condition is going much much better than before and soon KPK will be more develop than other provinces..LONG LIVE PAKISTAN.

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khan

Mar 28, 2015 09:59pm

See this is the difference of PTI. KPK became a well developed province in Pakistan and only 25% budget utilized. KPK is so developed that Americans are applying for jobs. Wow well done Mr Khan.

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Awais Ali

Mar 28, 2015 10:28pm

I am happy that KPK govt is spending 14% on Education and 8% of budget on health more than any other province.

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Hassan

Mar 28, 2015 10:51pm

For the naive this might be news but spending the budget is only one of the measures. How you spend is what matters the most.

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Nadar khan

Mar 29, 2015 12:31am

Pti has protested a lot and now have intention to protest more.question arises here where the fund comes for these protests defiantly they utilize KPK budget but it doesn't matter they will not win next election neither in KPK nor in Punjab.

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Adnan

Mar 29, 2015 12:57am

Ik gov is not putting anything in there pocket, I can see a lot of changes in KPK... what about the NS gov how much did they put in their pockets AND how much did they spend....

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ali

Mar 29, 2015 01:04am

so little spent...but I see a lot of change in kpk education.

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shabut

Mar 29, 2015 02:50am

People probably find it very unusual since they are used to funds evaporating in just a few months due to corrupt politicians. At least the funds are not being released into the corrupt hands in this case.

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shabut

Mar 29, 2015 02:54am

I'll be curious to see how do the graphics look for Punjab, Sindh, and Boluchistan. I'm sure Total Budget and Budget Released will be almost of same length but budget spent will be so small in comparison. And there will also be a fourth bar in case of those three provinces which will be labeled as Budget Spent on Politicians.

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farhad

Mar 29, 2015 02:56am

it would have been nice had we been given Punjab's data as well...

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Razak

Mar 29, 2015 04:27am

It shows the capability of PTI in managing a province. A province where a lot is required in eliminating the poverty, providing new jobs, schools, hospitals. PTI is totally clueless where to spend.

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Ysk

Mar 29, 2015 07:14am

PTI supporters will rush to defend IK even if he says earth is flat.

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Fawad

Mar 29, 2015 07:48am

And what happens to the amount that remains un-utilized? Does it remain with the province for the next budget or does it go back to the federal government?

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