City development projects Only 12 per cent of allocated amount utilised

LAHORE, Feb 7: The City District Govern-ment of Lahore (CDGL) could not make any considerable progress on 2,876 development projects as average utilisation remained 12 per cent with respect to allocation of over Rs53 billion in the 2010-11 fiscal plan.

The approved cost of these projects had been Rs142.3 billion, some 826 schemes were approved and Rs53.1 billion allocation was made but only Rs6.2 billion could be utilised so far, said a report submitted to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

The Lahore Ring Road project is one of the victims of the mismanagement and inefficiency of the CDGL. The Lahorites have been waiting for the completion of a signal-free corridor for two decades or so.

Envisioned by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in 1991, the project was aimed at streamlining the flow of traffic in the city, necessitated by a rapid
increase in vehicular number due to population growth which put a lot of pressure on the existing road network.

Owing to resource and site constrains, the work on the mega project was initiated in phases.

Some 57 schemes were approved for the phase-II of the Lahore Ring Road project at a cost of Rs628.31 million, but only Rs19.28 million of the Rs378.21 million allocation could be utilised.

Presided over by the Punjab chief secretary and participated in by the finance secretary and the planning and development board chairman, a recent meeting of commissioners from all divisions of the province discussed the report at length while wondering as to how over Rs45 billion remaining allocations could be utilised in a transparent way before the end of the ongoing financial year.

Under the Punjab Education Sector Reforms Programme (PESRP) for schools, launched in 2003 with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, some 530 schemes were to be completed by 2010.

Some 411 schemes were approved at a cost of Rs823.940 million with an allocation of Rs1.047 billion was made but only Rs588.220 million could be utilised.The five schemes under the 2008-09 and 2009-10 PESRP for higher education were approved with a sum of Rs275.320 million and all the Rs217.370 million allocation was utilised.

However, not a single rupee of the Rs162.250 million 2008-09 allocations for eight approved projects for the provision of missing facilities (tied grant for higher education) could be utilised.

Some 179 development schemes under the 2009-10 MPA Package were approved at a cost of Rs625 million but only Rs212.166 million could be utilised.

No scheme under the 2010-11 MNA/MPA three-sector programme could be approved against the Rs945 million allocations, likely to be lapsed on June 30 this year.

Some 96 water supply, school and road schemes under the 2010-11 City Package were approved with a sum of Rs366.453 million but only Rs57.518 million could be utilised.

None of the 887 schemes under the District Annual Development Plan for 2010-11 were approved. However, a sum of Rs253.392 million was utilised against the Rs4.5 billion allocations.

Similarly, none of the 401 schemes under the tied grant 2010-11 were approved. However, a sum of Rs221.370 million was utilised against the Rs2.069 billion allocations.

No scheme under the 2010-11 Citizens Community Board programme could be approved yet, but a sum of Rs300 million was utilised against the Rs1.2 billion allocations.

Similarly, no scheme under the 2010-11 Town Municipal Administrations’ Citizens Community Board programme could be approved yet, but a sum of Rs112.547 million was utilised against the Rs758.009 million allocations.

None of the 161 schemes, under the 2009-10 Provincial Development Plan for MPAs (eight million grant), could be finalised, but the cost of Rs199.249 million was approved against the same. However, a sum of Rs177.488 million was utilised against the Rs200 million allocations.

Similarly, none of the 482 schemes under the 2010-11 Provincial Annual Development Plan could be finalised but the cost of Rs138.7 billion was approved. However, a sum of Rs4.079 billion was utilised against the Rs40.019 billion allocations.

Not a single rupee of the Rs500 million allocations for 70 approved projects under the Special Development Package for Lahore city could be utilised. The approved cost of the projects was Rs480 million.