PESHAWAR, Oct 15: The city district government has failed to launch the Education Sector Reforms programme and funds remain unutilised since the financial year 2003-04, sources said.

They said that the NWFP government had introduced the programme in all districts of the province and the Peshawar city district government was allocated Rs14.92 million for its implementation.

Under the ESR, the district government has to establish eight vocational training workshops, three technical resource centres, employment of 400 teachers and distribution of uniforms and bags among students.

The objectives of the programme are to improve access to primary education, reduced gender and rural-urban disparities and expand capacity at the secondary school level for continuing education beyond primary level in the province.

Sources in the office of the Executive Education Officer (EDO) said that the district government had received the amount from the provincial government, but it remained unutilised.

They said that EDO office was ready to launch ESR and PC-I of the project had been prepared two years ago, but the district authorities did not release the funds to start activities.

“We have intimated office of the district planning officer and other concerned authorities to transfer funds, but they (district authorities) did not take the matter seriously,” said an official.

The sources said that various agencies, including the National Accountability Bureau and the Chief Minister Inspection Team, had conducted inquiries to ascertain causes of the delay.

It is learnt that the funds could be diverted to another sector if the district did not embark upon the programme. District Education Officer Capt (retired) Jehanzeb told Dawn that district authorities had sought Rs10 million from the Accountant General for the programme in June 2006.

The AG office, he said, had raised certain objections due to which the programme could not take off during the last financial year and added that EDO (Education) had been directed to review the plan to remove its (AG) reservations.