PESHAWAR: A series of three days long consultative sessions to finalise the Annual Development Programme (ADP) for fiscal year 2021-22 concluded here on Saturday.

A statement issued here said that Chief Minister Mahmood Khan chaired the sessions, which were attended by ministers, administrative secretaries and other officials.

It said that these sessions discussed and reviewed the proposed development portfolios of all the departments to be included in the provincial ADP as well as the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) for the merged districts.

It said that after threadbare discussion on the draft ADP and AIP for fiscal year 2021-22, inclusion of various new development schemes for both the draft provincial ADP and AIP and allocation of funds for them as well for the ongoing projects were finalised in the meetings.

Chairs sessions to review ADP, AIP for next fiscal

The statement said that Mr Khan told the meeting that timely completion of the ongoing development projects was the top priority of his government. He said that major chunk of the development budget should be allocated for the completion of high impact ongoing projects so that these could be completed in next two years and people could benefit from them as early as possible.

The chief minister said that new development projects would also be included in the next ADP, keeping public needs in view. He said that development projects having a direct and immediate positive impact on the lives of the people would be made part of the new uplift plan, adding that special attention would be given to education, health and other sectors of social services.

He said that despite the difficult financial situation due to the pandemic no compromise would be made on public welfare projects. He said that the government would try its best to provide maximum relief to public.

About priority sectors of the government, the forum was informed that health, education, tourism, energy, water resources, agriculture, housing, drinking water, industry, urban development and communications sectors were the priority sectors and billions of rupees would be allocated for them to ensure improved delivery of services.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2021