Secretariat Mirror: Two quarters on, ADP utilisation on the rise in Punjab

Provincial govt utilised over Rs175bn of total budget released by finance dept

The Punjab government has utilised over Rs175 billion of the total budget released by the Provincial Finance Department (FD) in the first two quarters of FY 2021-22.

In the first quarter, the sector-wise utilisation had been Rs67 billion.

The total development budget of the province is Rs644 billion. The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf government earmarked the historic and biggest ever Annual Development Programme (ADP) of the province. An amount of Rs189 billion, 35pc of the total ADP, was ring-fenced for projects in southern Punjab divisions – including Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur.

As per the official data, the total utilisation of funds was calculated as more than 45 percent of the total money released by the treasury in two quarters. The total budget revised allocation of the development funds at Rs611.5 billion while the Planning and Development Department (P&D) approved the release of Rs430 billion. Meanwhile, the finance department (FD) released Rs369 billion and the total spending of the departments or sectors remained Rs316bn.

As per details, the Punjab government had allocated Rs63.33bn for special initiatives but there is zero spending as the provincial government didn’t start any big programme. However, after the feasibility study, a 22-km-long electric-run tram project alongside the canal from Jallo to Thokar Niaz Beg will be completed, costing around Rs21bn.

As per data obtained, the community development sector remained on top with 70 percent utilisation and Rs13.6bn spending against total FD releases of Rs19.49bn. It is followed by the sports and youth affairs department with utilisation of 69 percent. It used Rs3.44bn against a total release of Rs4.99bn. The P&D utilised 64 percent using Rs9.66bn against the release of Rs15.12bn. Likewise, the school education department utilised Rs13.1bn i.e. 61 percent of the release of Rs21.72bn. Communication sector (roads), industries and population welfare departments utilised 57 percent of the releases. The road sector utilised Rs40bn against the release of Rs70.93bn, the industries department utilised Rs4bn against the release of Rs7bn while population welfare used Rs713 million against Rs1,254mn. The literacy department used Rs1.28bn or 56 percent against Rs2.30bn, public buildings utilised Rs8bn i.e. 53 pc of the total releases of Rs15.23bn.

Agriculture, local government and energy departments utilised 52 percent of their respective budgets i.e. Rs12.41bn out of Rs24bn, Rs8.8bn out of Rs16.88bn, and Rs3.08bn out of Rs5.95bn, respectively. The water supply and sanitation department utilised Rs10.46bn out of Rs20.91bn; thus it spent about 50 percent of its budget. Primary and secondary healthcare used up Rs6.3bn i.e. 45 percent out of Rs13.92bn, irrigation department used 43 percent or Rs8.5bn out of Rs19.68bn. The Higher Education Department used 41 percent i.e. Rs4.3bn out of Rs10.58bn. Special Education Department also used 41 percent as it spent Rs200mn out of Rs493mn. Information and culture department used 40 percent i.e. Rs177mn out of Rs446mn.

Meanwhile, other sectors and departments remained below 40 percent including Rescue 1122 with 38 percent, tourism 36 percent, urban development and forestry departments 31 percent each, women development 30 percent, archaeology 29 percent, social welfare 29 percent, fisheries 24 percent, Auqaf 23 percent, labour 22 percent, human rights 20 percent, livestock 20 percent, wildlife 15 percent, governance & IT 14 percent, mines and minerals 11 percent, specialised healthcare 9 percent, environment 8 percent, food 7 percent, transport 5 percent.

The low spending of the IT sector reflects that much more effort is needed to introduce tech-driven e-governance in the province.

It is a tradition that chairman P&D or its secretary convenes monthly ADP review meetings, while the chief secretary chairs quarterly review meetings. However, the CM chairs annual reviews.

Chief secretaries like Nasir Mehmood Khosa and Naveed Akram Cheema had also been taking ADP review meetings at the divisional level to assess and spur speed of work on development projects.

Sources say that Punjab CS Kamran Ali Afzal will chair the quarterly meeting soon. The administrative secretaries of the departments will attend it. The chair reviews progress in detail and issues letters of appreciation or displeasure on good or low utilisation of the budget. The same letters also become part of the performance record of the concerned officer, said a former P&D secretary. “Since Usman Buzdar government has earmarked record funds for development purposes, CS Afzal and P&D Chairman Abdullah Sumbal are concerned when it comes to enhancing the speed of utilisation,” he added.

The data further reflects that the departments which were issued dissatisfactory letters on low spending remain almost in the grey area as far as spending of funds is concerned. Through letters to population welfare, environment, human rights, Auqaf, women development, mines and minerals, the chief secretary had expressed dissatisfaction with the low utilisation of development funds. However, a secretary, who was earlier issued a displeasure letter, said that budget spending was never so high in the first quarter, and funds are usually utilised in the last quarter. “As the speed of development increases in last quarter so government should issue such letters after the annual reviews,” the officer suggested.

An officer of the P&D told that the CS was monitoring the ADP and development funds himself. The incumbent CS has a special passion for the development and social sectors, he maintained. He said that the Punjab government wanted maximum public sector spending to ensure development and growth as per CM Buzdar-led PTI government’s agenda.

P&D Board chairman, he reiterated, has strictly directed all departments to ensure fast track utilisation of ADP 2021-22.