ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform Spokesman Asim Khan has highlighted that the ministry has released fund for development projects during the period July-December 2017-2018 in different sectors which is considerably higher than the fund released during the correspondent period in 2016-2017.
The spokesman said that under the directions of the Planning, Development and Reform minister, all-out support is being provided to the executing organisations to complete projects for the well-being of the people in different walks of life. The ministry is regularly holding meetings of the development forum for reviewing the status of fund releases and approving new and revised scheme in order to facilitate execution, stated the spokesman.
The spokesman said, “Funds have been released for projects of all sectors including energy, water, transport and communications, physical planning and housing, health and population, education, governance, science and information technology, special areas and environment, youth, health etc.
Furthermore, Asim Khan maintained that the federal government has released the total amount of Rs315,013 million for the infrastructure sector during July-December 2017 whereas it was Rs218,208 during the same period last year which is 44 per cent higher. The projects include power, fuel, transport and communications, water and physical planning and housing.
The spokesman further elaborated that Rs26,626 million has been released by the federal government for the social sector whereas Rs24,540 million was released during July-December 2016. Hence the increase as compared to last year in the social sector is 8.5 per cent higher than the same period of 2016-2017. Projects included in the social sector are health, population welfare, education and training, higher education, environment, manpower and employment, mass media, rural development, and social welfare.
Asim Khan said that federal government has released Rs5,059 million for science and IT sector. Rs3,986 million were released during the first half of the last year. In the governance sector, Rs6,356 million has been released by the federal government while in the previous year Rs3,492 million was released.
The spokesman further emphasised that in the special areas sector, Rs30,220 million has been released this year whereas Rs24, 554 million was released in 2016, which is 23 per cent higher. The total PSDP of this year is Rs417,619 million while it was Rs306,198 million in July-December 2016.
