PESHAWAR: Development funds utilization in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) has registered 425 percent increase during the first quarter (July-September) of the current financial year as compared to the last financial year.
Overall ratio of funds utilization against the released funds remains 38 percent.
This was told in the first quarter review meeting of provincial ADP 2021-22 held here on Tuesday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair.
Provincial Cabinet Member Shahram Khan Tarakai, Taimur Salim Jhagra, Riaz Khan, Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Senior Member Board of Revenue Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, Administrative Secretaries of the provincial departments and other relevant quarters attended the meeting.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing on the overall situation of allocation, release and utilization of funds during the first quarter of the current financial year.
The meeting was informed that a total of 2280 projects having a total cost of Rs1713 billion had been reflected in the ADP of the current financial year with an allocation of Rs210 billion.
It was further informed that 219 High Priority Projects worth Rs331 billion have been identified out of the total developmental portfolio which would be completed during the next two years adding that a total fund of Rs73 billion have been allocated for the timely completion of these High Priority Projects, whereas utilization of funds against the High Priority Projects remained 42 percent during the first quarter.
Regarding the approval status of new projects, the forum was informed that out of the 458 new projects, 153 projects have been approved by the relevant forums.
It was told that so far 1439 monitoring reports had been generated on developmental projects during the current financial year, and feedback on 1090 of them had been received from the concerned departments.
With regard to the Due for Completion (DFC) projects it was apprised that 670 projects worth Rs170 billion were near completion for which a total fund of Rs60 billion have been allocated in the current budget.
It was told that during the first quarter of the current financial year, the transport sector remained on top of the list with 74 percent fund utilization followed by the road sector with 67 percent fund utilization and energy sector with 61 percent fund utilization.
Addressing the meeting the Chief Minister Mehmood Khan expressed dissatisfaction over the overall approval status of new projects and directed all the departments to get the PC-Is of their respective projects cleared from the relevant forums by the end of this month.
He said that another review meeting of the first quarter would be held next month and strict action would be taken against the concerned administrative secretaries in case of noncompliance.
Mahmood Khan also directed the concerned authorities to further strengthen the Monitoring and Evaluation Cell in order to effectively monitor the developmental projects further directing them to take appropriate action against the concerned government officials in the light of monitoring reports.
The meeting discussed threadbare matters related to introducing reforms in the overall tendering process for developmental projects, and it was decided to constitute a committee headed by Provincial Finance Minister, and the chief minister directed the committee to come up with solid and workable proposals within 15 days.
