TANVEER AHMED
KARACHI: Sindh has allocated Rs.282 billion for Annual Development Plan (ADP) in the financial year 2018-19, compared to Rs.274 billion in the current fiscal year, showing a three percent increase.
By including Rs.46.895 billion of foreign projects assistance and Rs.15 billion of foreign grants, the total development outlay of the province comes to Rs.343.911 billion for the next fiscal against Rs.344.67 billion of current financial yea, registering a slight decrease of Rs.0.04 percent. The total development outlay figures however showed growth against the revised estimates of current fiscal year, which stood at Rs.282.373 billion.
The slight decline in total development outlay caused due to expected low transfer of federal grants and foreign projects assistance during the next financial year.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah speaking about the increase the development budget of the province said the province has witnessed a decade of sustainable development. “We are committed to taking Sindh to new heights of progress and prosperity,” he added.
The Chief Minister announced that Sindh has decided to prepare 80% of development budget for ongoing schemes and leave 20% of the budget space for new schemes in a block provision in ADP 2018-19.
The Provincial development budget includes Rs.252.0 billion for Provincial ADP 2018-19 out of which Rs.202.0 billion being 80% has been allocated for 2226 on-going schemes, whereas new schemes of all departments will be accommodated under the block provision of Rs.50.00 billion, being 20% of the development budget, earmarked separately as „Block Allocation? for new schemes to be decided by next government for all sectors in ADP 2018-19. In addition, Rs.30 billion has been allocated for District ADP 2018-19.
ADP’s allocations for education come to RS.24.4 billion. It includes Rs.3.2 billion for boards and universities and Rs.5 billion for college education and Rs.15 billion for school education along with the allocations for special education and few other heads.
Sindh will spend Rs.12.5 billion on health sector in ADP in the next financial year. It includes Rs.6.5 billion for various hospitals and Rs.1.4 billion for teaching hospitals and Rs.3 billion for preventive programmes besides Rs.2.3 billion for foreign funded projects of heath sector,
The ADP’s allocations for home department has bee pitched at Rs. 2 billion including Rs.1 billion for police and Rs.990 million for prisons. For law & parliamentary affairs, ADP’s allocations stood at Rs.2 billion.
In energy sector, Rs.7 billion has been allocated for ongoing schemes of energy sector including Thar Coal Infrastructure Development and Rs.2.5 billion for water supply at Thar coal field under ongoing schemes and Rs.1.2 billion would be spent on village electrification and gasification programme.
The development budget for local government has been pitched Rs.27.9 billion in the next fiscal along with Rs.533 million to be spent on local governments under foreign funded projects. Rs.7.3 billion has been allocated for mega projects in Karachi city under ongoing schemes along with the local government allocations.
Development budget for public health engineering has been pitched at Rs.9.9 billion whereas Rs.4.2 billion have been allocated for Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme.
Sindh government will spend Rs.3 billion on Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan and Rs. 1.6 billion will be spent at mobile health care units.
The ADP’s allocation for agriculture sector comes to Rs.28 billion and whereas Sindh government will spend Rs.28 billion on irrigation sector.
In transport and mass transit, Rs.6.83 billion has been set aside in the budget. For construction of Bus Rapid Transit Orangi Town Rs.1.12 billion has been earmarked whereas Rs.5.01 billion has been allocated for Integrated Intelligence Transportation system.
Sindh government will spend Rs.4.7 billion for repair and maintenance of dams, canals, bands, barrages, etc, in the coming financial year.
