LAHORE: The Punjab government has ended the financial year of 2020-21 on a high note by utilising 97 per cent of the total funds it allocated for its Annual Development Programme (ADP).

“We utilised Rs300.77 billion of the total release of Rs308 billion in major sectors. It is a huge achievement,” says Planning and Development Board Chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal.

“Up to 97pc of utilisation percentage of the development funds in Punjab province in the financial year has been the highest in the last 10 years,” he told reporters here on Thursday.

The government says that in accordance with the directions of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, the development funds of all the sectors concerned have been spent on new and ongoing schemes in an optimal manner. The highest percentage of utilisation is mainly due to robust monitoring by the P&D Board and also by the close supervision of all the administrative secretaries.

The health sector has been a top priority for the government primarily because of Covid-19. In the last financial year of 2020-21 ended on June 20, Rs57.163bn were allocated for the health sector, of which Rs56bn were spent, which constitutes about 99pc of the allocated funds.

Over Rs29.6bn were allocated for school education whereas the utilisation was more than Rs27.4bn that comes out to be 93pc. Up to Rs46bn were allocated for the roads sector and a most impressive 100pc of the allocated amount was utilised.

Similarly, the utilisation rate was 93pc of the total funds allocated for the agriculture sector, 91pc for irrigation, 96pc for transport, 98pc for urban development, energy and public buildings and environment and 93pc for social welfare. He said 100pc allocated funds for roads, water supply and community development programme were utilised.

“The vision of the chief minister ‘Punjab is moving forward’ is the foremost consideration for the entire government and is being implemented methodically,” the P&D chairman said.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2021