Govt releases Rs 583 bln for development projects

By Asad Cheema

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has so far authorized release of Rs 583 billion for various ongoing and new social sector uplift projects under its Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2019-20, as against the total allocation of Rs701 billion.
Under its development programme, the government has released an amount of Rs 244.2 billion for federal ministries, Rs 194.18 billion for corporations and Rs 43.56 billion for special areas, according to a latest data released by Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform. Out of these allocations, the government released Rs 49.73 billion for security enhancement in the country for which the government had allocated Rs53 billion during the year 2019-20.
An amount of Rs 97.64 billion has also been released for the blocks managed by finance division under the government’s 10 years development programme. Similarly for Higher Education Commission, the government released an amount of Rs 28.28 billion out of its total allocation of Rs 29 billion while Rs 270.47 million were released for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority for which the government had allocated Rs 270.47 million in the development budget.
For National Highway Authority, the government released Rs167.70 billion against its allocations of Rs 173.53 billion. Under annual development agenda, the government also released Rs 8.67 billion for Railways Division out of total allocation of Rs12.56 billion, Rs8.39 billion for Interior Division, and Rs8 billion for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Division.
Revenue Division received Rs 5.84 billion, whereas the Cabinet Division also received Rs 34.16 billion for which an amo unt of Rs 35.97 billion has been allocated for the year 2019-20. The government also released Rs 27.11 billion for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) block and other projects out of its allocations of Rs 27.26 billion and Rs 16.34 billion for Gilgit Baltistan (Block and other projects).