PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has encountered difficulties in successfully executing the Annual Development Program (ADP) budget for the fiscal year.
According to documents from the provincial Finance Department, the KP government allocated a total of Rs. 319 billion for ADP projects across the province for the fiscal year 2022/23. However, only Rs. 99 billion has been spent so far, indicating a significant underutilization of the allocated budget.
To provide specific examples, out of the allocated budget of Rs. 12.882 billion for the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, and Dairy Development, only Rs. 7 billion has been utilized. Similarly, Rs. 394 million out of the designated Rs. 872 million for Hajj, Auqaf, and Minority Affairs have been spent. The Finance Department has utilized Rs. 326 million out of the allocated Rs. 986.892 million, and the Public Health Department has spent Rs. 3.442 billion out of the designated Rs. 9.676 billion. Other departments, such as Elementary and Secondary Education, Energy and Power, Environment, Administration, Excise and Taxation, Food, Forest, Health, Higher Education, Immigration, Housing, Industries, Information, and Labour, have also experienced varying degrees of underutilization.
Sources indicate that despite the allocation of funds in the budget, financial challenges have resulted in the delayed release of funds for new projects. Additionally, the inclusion of certain projects in the ADP on political grounds, rather than based on their actual needs, has further complicated the situation.
