ISLAMABAD: The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) and the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training will face a significant decrease in their development budgets in the fiscal year 2015-16.

Compared to the outgoing fiscal year, the education ministry will face over 36 per cent and CADD 42 per cent decline in the development allocations. However, as per the budget documents, both the ministries will get a slight increase in the recurring budgets.

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, which was allocated Rs3.451 billion development budget for the fiscal year 2014-15, will get Rs2.207 billion for its nine ongoing and two new development projects in 2015-16. The education ministry’s budget has slightly been increased from Rs1.602 billion in 2014-15 to Rs1.179 billion.

It may be noted that for the fiscal year 2015-16, the government had proposed an allocation of Rs1 billion for the Ministry of Federal Education for an unapproved project, “Education sector reforms in ICT.” However, in the final budget documents, the government withdrew the amount.

The education ministry had nothing to do with the education sector in the federal capital as all schools and colleges in the city were supervised by the Capital Administration and Development Division(CADD). However, the federal government allocated Rs1 billion for the ministry to bring reforms in the education sector of the capital.

Similarly, the budgetary documents did not bring any good news for CADD as regard to the development activities though it was given a slight increase in the recurring budget - Rs15.3 billion - against last year’s Rs14.07 billion.

But its development budget saw a significant decrease. For the fiscal year 2015-16, the government approved Rs1.043 billion (1043.332 million) for CADD against Rs1.8 billion in 2014-15.

A sum of Rs1.04 billion (1043.332 million) was earmarked for CADD for its 11 ongoing and four new schemes.

CADD is responsible for education and health sectors of the capital city. This year, the government earmarked Rs70 million for the division for establishing a centre for neurosciences at Pims and Rs5 million for the extension of Polyclinic.

Development funds would also be provided to CADD for initiating new development schemes in the education sector including Rs100 million for the establishment of smart school, Rs100 million for upgradation of high schools, Rs30 million for upgradation of national special education for hearing impaired children from the higher secondary to the graduation level and Rs15 million for uplifting of Islamabad Model College for Boys, G-10/4.

It may be noted CADD had demanded funds for the construction of additional blocks for shifting of students from the evening to morning classes and opening of a literacy cell. However, both the demands could not make place in the budget documents. — Kashif Abbasi

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2015

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