There has been remarkable improvement in the utilization of development fund in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa owing to the incumbent provincial government’s decision to release cent percent developmental funds in the very beginning of financial year. During the first quarter of the current financial year, the overall ratio of utilization of developmental funds has been 38 percent against the released funds. There has been 425 percent increase in the utilization of developmental funds during the first quarter of the current financial year as compared to that of the last financial year. 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 detail 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 1713 billion rupees had been reflected in the ADP of the current financial year with an allocation of Rs. 210 billion. It was further informed that 219 High Priority Projects worth Rs. 331 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 Rs. 73 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 feedbacks 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 Rs. 170 billion were near completion for which a total fund of Rs. 60 billion have been allocated in the current budget. It was told that during the first quarter of the current financial year, transport sector remained on top of the list with 74 percent fund utilization followed by road sector with 67 percent fund utilization and energy sector with 61 percent fund utilization. The chief minister, while expressing dissatisfaction on the overall approval status of new projects, directed all the departments to get the PC-Is of their respective projects cleared from the relevant forums by the end of this month; and said that another review meeting of the first quarter would be held in 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. Underlining the need of a more effective and robust mechanism of monitoring of developmental schemes in the newly merged districts, the chair directed the high ups of P&D Department to put in place a specialized system of monitoring for the merged districts. The meeting discussed threadbare matters related to introduce 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. The chair also directed all the cabinet members and administrative secretaries to hold monthly review meeting of their respective developmental portfolio on regular basis and to share the reports of such meetings with Chief Minister Secretariat. Mahmood Khan directed all the departments to further improve the utilization of developmental funds so that cent percent fund utilization is ensured by the end of the financial year. He also directed to focus special attention on the High Priority Projects as well as on Due for Completion projects as these projects will have quick impacts on the lives of the common man. Mahmood Khan further directed all the administrative secretaries to complete recruitment process on all the vacant positions in their departments within next three months period. Moreover, the chief minister directed the Elementary & Secondary Education Department to immediately repatriate all the teaching staff working against administrative posts in other departments on deputation basis, and to post out all such teachers to schools within one week. Similarly, the chief minister directed the Auqaf Department to increase the monthly salaries of Khateebs from 8000 per month to 21000 per month further directing to issue formal notification to this effect within 15 days positively.
Handout No.268 Peshawar 16th November 2021. OFFICE OF THE PRESS SECRETARY TO CHIEF MINISTER KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA
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