LAHORE, June 17: The Punjab government presented on Monday Rs290 billion development budget for the upcoming 2013-14, with major allocations for social and energy sector besides women empowerment initiatives.

Formulated within a medium-term development framework (MTDF), the annual development programme (ADP) 2013-14 would be a rolling plan providing development estimates for a three years period — base year and the following two years.

The proposed size of development programme 2013-14 is Rs100bn higher than last year’s revised size of development programme 2012-13, with Rs200 billion allocation or 69 per cent of the total proposed development outlay for the core programme.

Adequate funding for foreign aided and mega projects, regional balance in allocation of resources with extra weight for less-developed districts besides continued focus on undertaking projects that can be completed within one or two years have also been proposed.

The government has plans to continue strategic interventions in large cities to realise their potential as engines of growth and enabling medium cities to share the urbanisation pressure.

The ADP has allocation of Rs88 billion for social sectors investments with major focus on education (Rs25.4bn) and health (Rs18.3bn), energy sector (Rs20.5bn) women empowerment initiatives (Rs25bn), southern Punjab development programme (Rs13bn), subsidy to farmers on solar tube-wells (Rs7.5bn) and for establishment of new industrial city economic zone (Rs5bn).