PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The Centre of Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA) here Monday said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has utilized nearly 18 percent budget of the Annual Development Programme (ADP) in the first half of the fiscal year 2015-16.
According to a press release of CGPA, the development spending of incumbent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is once again sluggish. The expenditure details of spending available on KP government finance website depicts Rs31.14 billion spent as on January 5, 2016 against the total Rs175.02 billion ADP for fiscal year 2015-16. As on January 5, 2016, the KPK government has released Rs 67.8 billion for development projects.
“CGPA has filed two information requests to KPK finance and Planning and Development (P&D) departments under Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act 2013 to triangulate the information available on the finance department website, but despite lapse of more than 20 days, no expenditure details were provided,” the report said.
The CGPA has urged the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to expedite utilization of development budgets, which has been a regular concern for the province.
CGPA analysis of utilization of development budget for the fiscal year 2015-16 depicts that nearly 18% of its allocated development budget has been utilized in the first half of FY 2015-16.
In terms of actual expenditures, road sector utilized Rs 6.41 billion out of Rs 19 billion allocated under KP ADP 2015-16 which is 33.7% of total ADP for roads. District ADP which has been allocated Rs 30.2 billion has utilized 6.08 billion (20.12%).
On the other hand the local government department, which has been allocated Rs18.3 billion, could utilize Rs 2.7 billion only. Elementary and secondary education could utilize only Rs 1.8 billion (11.5%) of the total allocated Rs 15.9 billion to the sector.
Similarly health sector, which has been in dismal condition, could utilize only Rs1.5 billion out of 12.4 billion (12.5%).
The cumulative performance of others sector remained as; water sector was allocated 6.8 billion and utilized 1.8 billion (26.6%), drinking water and sanitation sector was allocated 7.3 billion and utilized 1.5 billion (20.4%), higher education was allocated 6.1 billion and utilized 1.2 billion (20.9%), agriculture sector was allocated 2.4 billion and utilized 867 million (35.1%), pro poor initiatives sector was allocated 8.1 billion and utilized 860 million (10.5%).
Finance sector was allocated 6 billion and utilized 825 million (13.6%), energy and power sector was allocated 3.7 billion and utilized 792 million (21.1%), multi sectoral development sector was allocated 13.5 billion and utilized 635 million (4.67%), forestry sector was allocated 1.2 billion and utilized 561 million (45.21%), home sector was allocated 6.3 billion and utilized 453 million (7.1%), industries sector was allocated 4.5 billion and utilized 402 million (8.86%), building sector was allocated 1.2 billion and utilized 308 million (24.25%), law and justice sector was allocated 1.1 billion and utilized 279 million (23.3%).
Sports tourism and archeology sector was allocated 1.3 billion and utilized 229 million (16.6%), board of revenue sector was allocated 1.1 billion and utilized 122 million (10.8%), relief and rehabilitation sector was allocated 2.2 billion and utilized 62 million (2.8%), housing sector was allocated 956 million and utilized 56 million (5.9%), ST & IT sector was allocated 1 billion and utilized 56 million (5.2%).
Social welfare sector was allocated 526 million and utilized 42 million at 8%, information sector was allocated 224 million and utilized 32 million at 14.4%, population welfare sector was allocated 349 million and utilized 16.5 million at 4.7%, mines and minerals sector was allocated 626 million and utilized 16 million at 2.5%.
Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority affairs was allocated 222 million and utilized 15 million at 6.9%, excise taxation and narcotics control sector was allocated 406 million and utilized 13.5 million at 3.3%, food sector was allocated 501 million and utilized 10 million at 2%, research and development sector was allocated 6.8 million and utilized 5 million at 73%.
It is astonishing that research and development sector consist of a single project which is the rehabilitation of Thana bazar road in Malakand which perhaps should have fallen in road sector, transport sector was allocated 234 million and utilized 1.4 million at 0.62% environment sector was allocated 57 million and utilized 0.5 million at 0.94% and labor sector was allocated 74 million and utilized 0.1 million at 0.24%.
CGPA Programme Manager, Malik Masood demanded KPK government to ensure efficient and accountable mechanisms for improving ADP spending.
There has always been a difference between the claims of KPK, finance department and planning & development department utilization figures for which information requests under KPK RTI law were filed to finance and P&D departments on January 1, 2016.
It said both departments have not yet provided the requested information despite lapse of 20 workings days. This also depicts sorry state of RTI law implementation.
The government shall improve its timely utilization capacity along with the implementation of other legislations that are harbinger to the KPK good governance legislative framework, demanded Masood.
Source: APP
