The departments of the Punjab government have been directed to prepare a monthly plan for the utilisation of funds during the second quarter of the current financial year, WealthPK reports. The members of the Planning and Development Board have also been directed to monitor utilisation plans fortnightly to achieve the goals set in the Annual Development Programme for the current fiscal.

The directives were issued during a meeting of the Punjab Planning and Development Board (P&D), held with its chairman Abdullah Khan Sumbal in the chair to review the status of funds allocated for schemes in the Annual Development Programme 2022-23. The meeting reviewed Punjab’s development profile and status of the ADP 2022-23 in perspective of the allocated budget, releases of funds and their utilisation.

Sohail Anwar, the secretary of the board, briefed the meeting about the current portfolio status. Matters pertaining to the approval of new schemes and progress on ongoing schemes across the province were also discussed. The meeting was informed that against 4,992 schemes, 4,377 were approved and against a total allocated development budget of Rs685 billion, Rs45 billion remained at the spending level.

The board chairman said that guidelines and timelines should be followed in letter and spirit to ensure fast-track implementation of the ADP 2022-23. “A proactive approach is required to start implementation of the ADP with a robust monitoring mechanism at all levels,” he said. He added that for the implementation of the guidelines, a robust quality control mechanism should be put in place by administrative departments to ensure quality work.

Abdullah Khan Sumbal said that the government would be focusing on streamlining the procedures to fast-track the implementation. He also directed the officers concerned to accelerate the pace of utilisation of funds and the finance department to ensure immediate placement of released funds at the spending level after removing all impediments.

He directed the departments to prepare a monthly utilisation plan for the second quarter of the current fiscal and forward it to the board. The members of the board were also asked to monitor utilisation plans fortnightly to achieve the goals.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk