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ISLAMABAD: Federal government had released Rs 111.13 billion for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) by November 21 in the current year, which is 21.2 percent of total allocation of Rs 525 billion of development budget.

A high official source in the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms told Business Recorder that the government released a smaller amount for PSDP in the early months of financial year, and accelerated the releases as the fiscal year advanced. He clarified that the Planning Commission made no releases under the foreign component of the PSDP or in other words Rs 102 billion out of the Rs 525 total development budget was dealt by the Economic Affairs Division.

He said the Commission had released 26.3 percent of total allocation of Rs 423 billion (525-102=423) and added that the government released 20 percent each in the first and second quarters but the Planning Commission had released 18.5 percent in first quarter (July-September). He said that after completing of second quarter (October-December) the government would have released 40 percent of total development budget. The official said the Commission released funds on the demands of ministries for projects. “We release funds according to their demands and 20 percent releases each in the first and second quarters are not a hard and fast rule. Planning Commission will release 40 percent of two quarters at the end of December,” he claimed. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms, Rs 23.74 billion has been released for various projects of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission out of its total budgeted allocations of Rs 51.48 billion earmarked under PSDP for 2014-15.

The government released 15.22 billion for Railways Division for which 39.57 billion rupees were earmarked in the PSDP for 2014-15.

According to the data, the government released Rs 1.44 billion for Interior Division for which Rs 3.9 billion was earmarked in the budget of current year while Rs 9.88 billion has been released for National Health Services, Regulations and Co-ordination Division out of total budgeted allocation of Rs 27 billion.

A sum of Rs 334.68 million has been released for Planning, Development and Reforms Division out of Rs 32.8 billion budgeted for the year. An amount of Rs 1.26 billion has been released for Cabinet Division, out of its total allocations of Rs 2.1 billion whereas Rs 18.226 million has been released for Communications Division (other than NHA) out of Rs 191 million budgeted allocation for the year.

A sum of Rs 157.2 million has been released for Commerce Division, out of its total allocation of Rs 363 million whereas out of the total allocation of Rs 11 billion for Finance Division the government has so far released Rs 1.4 billion. The government has released Rs 18.92 billion for National Highway Authority against the total allocation of Rs 112 billion for current fiscal year while Rs 10.92 billion has been released for Water and Power Division (water sector) against total allocation of Rs 43.4 billion. The government also released Rs 3 billion out of Rs 63.6 billion for Wapda (Power) for financial year 2014-15.

The Planning Division released Rs 3.92 billion for Higher Education Commission against the total allocation of Rs 20 billion whereas a total of Rs 332 million has been released for Capital Administration and Development Division out of the budgeted Rs 1.8 billion.

The government has also released Rs 1.35 billion for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra), out of its total annual allocation of Rs 5 billion. The government released Rs 4.2 billion for AJK development projects out of its annual allocation of Rs 12.13 billion and Rs 4.23 billion was released for Gilgit-Baltistan out of Rs 9.2 billion budgeted, and Rs 7 billion was released to for Safron/Fata out of its total annual allocation of Rs 19 billion.