ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: As many as seven approved projects of Ministry of Capital Administration and Development (CAD) have been delayed because Planning Division could not release the funds to start development work, Dawn has learnt.

According to sources, financial crunch has severely affected the projects of public importance, due to which not only people will suffer but with every passing day the cost of projects will increase.

An officer of CAD requesting not to be quoted said that the most important project was uplifting of 50 Junior Model Schools to be administered as Islamabad Model Schools.

“If project would be completed, at least 25,000 students would be able to get admission in middle and secondary school classes. Those schools will help to get rid of the second-shift, which was offered because of lack of buildings,” he said.

Other projects which have been approved by the planning division are an extension of Federal Government Services Hospital (Polyclinic), he said. “It is a fact that because of lack of medical facilities in rural areas, patients from AJK, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and from different districts of Rawalpindi Division, come to Islamabad for treatment, due to which hospitals of Islamabad face huge burden of patients. The only solution is to increase the number of beds, wards and other facilities through extension of those hospitals,” he said.

“We tried to get funds for those projects many times but unfortunately health and education are not priorities of the government due to which the relevant department never feels that they should release funds for both sectors,” he said.

Spokesman of Federal Government College Teachers Association, Prof Tahir Mehmood while talking to Dawn said that after Postgraduate College H-8, Degree College H-9 and H-8 Commerce College, almost 20 years have been passed but not a single college of that magnitude has been constructed.

“Government has to invest in education sector because only that is how we can compete with other nations. Besides, Pakistan can also earn foreign remittances by sending qualified and skilled persons to abroad for work,” he said.

Pims spokesman Dr Wasim Khawaja confirmed that because of increasing number of patients, work load has been continuously increasing and government should construct another hospital in the city.

Joint Secretary CAD, Rafique Tahir said CAD has requested planning division for funds many times but because of financial crunch, funds could not be released.

Member Planning Commission, Shahid Sattar while talking to Dawn said although there is financial crunch in the country but most of the funds have been released.—Ikram Junaidi