MUZAFFARABAD: The share of social and productive sectors in Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Annual Development Programme (ADP) has been fixed at 19 per cent and 12pc, respectively, but the infrastructure sector would still get the lion’s share of 69pc, Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan said on Saturday.

Giving details of the Rs28.5 billion ADP for 2022-23, the finance minister said communication and works (C&W) would get the highest share of Rs12bn followed by Rs3.3bn to physical planning and housing, Rs2.8bn to local government and rural development, Rs2.25bn to energy and water resources, Rs2.17bn to education and Rs1.8bn to health.

Among some other allocations, Rs600 million would go to tourism, Rs550m to industries and minerals, Rs500m to agriculture and livestock, Rs400m to forestry and watershed and Rs380m to information technology, he said.

The minister informed that 62pc of the ADP had been allocated for the 389 ongoing schemes and remaining 38pc for 263 new schemes. He informed that some 107 projects would be completed by June 30 while the government planned to accomplish another 177 in next fiscal year.

He said the government planned to establish a “skill development” university in the region and Rs20m had been earmarked for its feasibility study. In order to promote tourism, digital mapping of the territory was also being introduced in the next fiscal year, he said.

Of the major allocations in recurring budget, the finance minister informed that education would get the highest share of Rs32.3bn, followed by Rs26bn for pensions, Rs21.14bn for miscellaneous grants, Rs11.87bn for health, Rs9.42bn for electricity, Rs7.25bn for police, Rs5.8bn for general administration, Rs4.57bn for communication and works, Rs3.7bn for wheat flour subsidy, Rs2.12bn for judiciary, Rs1.43bn for forests, wildlife and fisheries, Rs1.14bn for relief and rehabilitation, and Rs1.18bn for board of revenue.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2022