QUETTA: The Balochistan government has decided to take permission from the provincial cabinet to utilise lapsed funds to complete the ongoing projects of the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) during the current financial year.

Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Dr Omer Babar briefed the cabinet on Friday about the proposal of using lapsed funds for the ongoing development projects which needed more money for completion.

He informed the cabinet that the Supreme Court had said in a verdict about spending additional funds on development projects that the departments concerned should take permission from the provincial government in this regard.

He said a proposal was being sent to the chief minister for the approval to spend the surrendered funds so that more projects should be completed by the end of the current fiscal.

Provincial cabinet has been briefed on the proposal

He said the planning and development department had increased the flow of resources for the schemes to boost the pace of economic development and put more money into the provincial economy to stimulate growth. The departments concerned had also been instructed to speed up the pace of development with early approval of the PC-I of all the projects, he said.

The official said a system to properly monitor the implementation of all the projects had also been launched and economic and administrative reforms had been introduced.

Dr Babar pledged to release next year’s development funds for all development schemes from August for giving more time for their implementation.

It was decided that a meeting of the cabinet’s core committee would be held to settle pending issues for early approval of the PC-I of all important projects and release of funds for them.

Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri said it was unacceptable that the development funds should lapse or be surrendered and his government would ensure their timely utilisation.

He issued instructions for the use of development funds in time for the benefit of the people.

The cabinet formed a parliamentary committee, headed by Health Minister Rehmat Baloch, for holding talks with the agitating paramedics and redressing their grievances.

It increased the amount of the Education Endowment Fund to Rs8 billion from Rs6bn to help 15,000 deserving students during the current academic year.

The provincial cabinet also approved setting up of the Quetta Mass Transit and Green Bus Authority, Balochistan Non-Formal Education Policy, the drinking water supply strategy and action plan and allocation of additional amount for construction of small dams.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2017