PESHAWAR: In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 74 percent of the development fund released so far during the current financial year has been spent, which is 51 percent more than the development funds spent till May of the previous financial year. Over the last four years, the development process in various sectors has also gradually improved and various projects of public interest have been completed and made functional for the people while the overall system of service delivery in various sectors has also increased manifold. In the Department of Communications, from the financial year 2018-19 till now, 1175 km long new roads have been constructed, 2639 km roads have been rehabilitated and 49 new bridges have been constructed. In the energy sector, 80 MW of hydropower was added, which increased the revenue by Rs. 2 billion annually. Similarly, solarization of 6491 mosques, 53 BHUs, 8000 schools, 6650 households has been completed. The coverage of clean drinking water in the province has been increased from 61% to 80%, while in the health sector, the Health Justice Card has been extended to 100% of the population and 1315 beds have been added in hospitals. Several projects including Allied and Surgical Block in the new OPD Block, Women and Children’s Hospital Charsadda, LRH have been completed and made operational.
This was stated in an important meeting held on Thursday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan regarding the annual development program. Apart from Additional Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, administrative secretaries of provincial departments and other concerned officials also attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed the progress made so far on the development program for the current financial year and also considered the proposed preliminary draft for the annual development program for the new financial year.
The meeting was informed that under the current annual development program, the energy sector has so far topped the list with 98% utilization against the released funds, while the communications sector is second and third with 92% utilization and industry sector 89% respectively. Similarly, 83% of the funds have been spent by the Department of Drinking Water, 83% of the Department of Transport and 81% of the Department of Agriculture. Giving details of gradual increase in the development budget of the province, it was informed that the development budget of the province was Rs 114 billion in the financial year 2018-19 which increased to Rs 210 billion in the financial year 2021-22. An initial development budget of Rs. 230 billion has been proposed for this which will be the largest development budget in the history of the province. Briefing the meeting about the major achievements in other sectors during the last four years, it was informed that more than 145000 m of flood protection walls have been constructed across the province including the integrated districts under irrigation department, more than seven lakh meters of channels have been constructed. gone. Construction of 225 km long Canal Patrol Roads has been completed. 51 small dams, 95 check dams, 370 irrigation tube wells were installed while 48 micro hydro projects were completed.
Since November 2020, 977,000 people have received free medical treatment under Health Card Plus. Three Category D Hospitals and 42 Community Health Centers were completed. Under the public-private partnership, ten hospitals in remote areas of the merged districts were made operational, while five district headquarters hospitals were provided with electric express line and 24 hospitals were provided with CT scan and other medical equipment. In addition, 1803 project staff was regularized in the merged districts. Regional Blood Centers were set up in Swat, Abbottabad and DI Khan, and 30,000 cancer patients were treated free of cost. The Saidu College of Industry and the 140-bed Fountain House are the first mental and psychiatric support hospitals in the province. Similarly, 141 new primary schools and ten secondary schools were set up in the districts under the Department of Primary and Secondary Education. 110 mosque schools were shifted to regular primary schools while upgradation of 55 primary schools, 48 middle schools and 71 high schools was completed. Four new model schools were built. 4600 play areas were provided in primary schools.
Similarly, 44 primary schools were set up in the merged districts while 76 schools were upgraded and 19 schools were rebuilt. Four model schools were built and 9900 female students were provided scholarships. In addition, 27 community schools in the merged districts were regularized. Under the Scholarship Program, a total of Rs. 3.3 billion was provided to the students of the merged districts while Rs. 200 million was spent on the support of religious schools. In addition to the construction of 400 additional classrooms in the schools of the merged districts under AIP, provision of other non-existent facilities was ensured.
Several new economic zones were set up in the industry sector including Hattar Special Economic Zone, 544 new industrial units were added. Seven new training centers were set up and 18 new buildings were constructed for technical education institutions.
The Chief Minister directed the Administrative Secretaries to ensure 100% utilization of the Development Fund released by the end of this financial year otherwise the concerned Secretary would be severely questioned. Instructing to finalize the annual development program for the next financial year within the next one week, the Chief Minister said that the completion of the ongoing projects in the next annual development program should be given first priority and these priority projects.
Special attention should be paid to the completion of these which will benefit as many people as possible. He said that all the departments should identify the projects to be completed during the next financial year and set a deadline for the completion of these projects. He clarified that in case the project is not completed within the stipulated deadline, action will be taken against the responsible persons and no leniency will be taken in this regard.