KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday approved a Rs55 billion allocation for the district Annual Development Programme (ADP) and directed that deputy commissioners serve as project directors for schemes in their respective districts, with the exception of Karachi.

A spokesperson for the CM House said that the implementation of district ADP schemes in Karachi would remain under the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) while deputy commissioners would continue to serve as project directors for schemes in rural areas.

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by the chief minister at the CM House. The meeting was attended by Planning and Development Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, P&D Chairman Najam Shah, Secretary to the CM Raheem Shaikh, LG Secretary Waseem Shamshad and Finance Secretary Fayaz Jatoi.

According to a press statement issued by the CM House, the chief minister approved a Rs55bn allocation for the district ADP for the fiscal year 2025-26, with 80 per cent of the funds earmarked for ongoing projects and 20pc for new initiatives.

The CM directed that deputy commissioners act as project directors for schemes in their respective districts to ensure efficient implementation.

He also emphasised sectoral ownership at the district level, mandating that at least 50pc of each scheme’s cost be allocated in the current fiscal year.

Furthermore, he stated that schemes would be prepared by the executing agencies responsible for specific types of work and approved by the District Development Committees or District Development Boards.

Mr Shah also outlined specific guidelines for development projects, including a minimum approval limit of Rs5 million and maximum limits of Rs40m for District Development Committees and Rs60m for District Development Boards.

He stressed that district ADP funds must be used efficiently, with a focus on completing ongoing projects and ensuring transparency and accountability. “To prevent duplication, agencies and local bodies must certify that proposed projects are not part of completed or ongoing schemes from the past three years,” the CM instructed.

He further directed that district ADP schemes should ideally be completed within one year, with exceptions allowed only under strong justification.

The CM decided that fund allocation should prioritise the completion of ongoing schemes within the financial year. “No revision or re-revision of schemes will be allowed, except under exceptional circumstances such as escalated costs or missing essential components,” he said, adding that the “throw-forward” of ongoing schemes should not exceed two years.

Mr Shah also stated that no new schemes should be planned with a 100 per cent allocation for just one year. In special cases, they may extend to two years. “Funds for ongoing schemes will be released in two equal instalments and for new schemes in four equal instalments, subject to 60pc utilisation of previously released funds,” he added.

The chief minister underscored the importance of efficient use of district ADP funds, with maximum focus on completing ongoing projects while maintaining transparency and accountability.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2025