The Sindh government's total development outlay for the FY-2012-13 has been finalised at Rs221 billion, with allocations of Rs161 billion for provincial government schemes, Rs20 billion for district government projects and Rs37 billion for foreign-funded (loans/grants) schemes, documents showed on Wednesday.

The proposed allocation for provincial government schemes is over 46 percent higher than outgoing fiscal year's revised annual development plan of Rs111 billion.

Informed sources inside Finance and P&D departments informed that this portfolio was finalised by the higher authorities of the provincial government during a meeting held at the Chief Minister House here a few days ago.

This time around, a major chunk of Rs15.5 billion of ADP has been allocated for communication (works and services), education Rs12 billion, health Rs11 billion, Rs5.8 billion for statistical and economic research, Rs4.8 billion for science and information technology, Rs8.5 billion for special initiatives, Rs4,059 million for drainage/reclaim and tube wells, Rs3,556.008 million for open canals, Rs3 billion for chief minister's directives and Rs1 billion for governor's directives.

According to the official summary of ADP 2012-13, obtained by Business Recorder, the Sindh government allocated Rs5,452 million for agriculture sector, including Rs453.794 million for agriculture research, Rs580.552 million for agriculture extension, Rs130.237 million for agriculture marketing, Rs3,198.927 million for agriculture mechanisation and Rs1,088.927 million for agriculture water management.

Government allocated Rs285 million for food, Rs50 million for supply and prices department, Rs2,487.968 million for animal husbandry (livestock) and Rs1,065.032 million for fisheries, Rs191.448 million for coastal development authority, Rs610.694 million for forest, Rs1,065.032 million for wildlife, Rs1,369 for industries, Rs1,600 million for investment development and Rs 490 million for mines and mineral development.

In water and drainage sector, Sindh government allocated Rs101.838 million for survey and investigation, Rs4,059 million for drainage/reclaim and tube wells, Rs 3556.008 million for open canals and Rs283.066 million for small dams projects, Rs3 billion for the Physical Planning and Housing Building sector including Rs627.04 million for prison department, Rs214.555 million for police department, Rs528.52 million for judicial department, Rs70 million for prosecution department, Rs133.925 million for buildings department, Rs247.016 million for SGA&C department, Rs 33.138 million for excise and taxation department, Rs30.604 million for provincial ombudsman, Rs34.536 million for finance department, Rs107.025 million for Governor's Secretariat, Rs5 million for Chief Minister's Secretariat, Rs900 million for Sindh Assembly and Rs50.641 million for Board of Revenue.

Local government department allocated Rs700 million, PHE department allocated Rs3,000 million, katchi abadies department allocated Rs121 million, transport department allocated Rs 500 million and communication (works and services) department allocated Rs15,500 million, the document added.

The Sindh government is learnt to have allocated more than 45 percent more funds for the education sector by comparison with FY 2011-12, setting aside Rs12 billion in FY 2012-13. The allocated funds included Rs768.621 million for elementary education, Rs139.96 million for teacher education, Rs1,313.622 million for Sindh Education Foundation (SEF), Rs2,524.708 million for secondary education, Rs4,117.430 million for college education, Rs1,589.989 million for Miscellaneous and Rs1,545.664 million for Higher education.

Provincial government allocated Rs550 million for Special education, Rs700 million for Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Authority (STEVTA), Rs11 billion for health sector including Rs2,701 million for teaching hospitals, Rs5,567.711 million for other hospitals, Rs662.792 million for medical education, Rs124.954 million for PHC adminsatrtion/trainigs, Rs40 million for nutrition, Rs1,814.085 million for preventive programme and Rs80.286 million for foreign-funded projects.

ADP further included Rs450 million for sports, Rs358 million for youth affairs, Rs800 million for culture, Rs263 million for tourism, Rs 156 million for manpower and employment, Rs362 million for information and archives, Rs350 million for Auqaf, Zakat and religious affairs, Rs41 million for cooperative, Rs720 million for minorities affairs, Rs5,880 million for statistical and economic research, Rs213 million for social welfare, Rs4,860.53 million for science and information technology, Rs 435 million for women's development, Rs274 million for environment, Rs11,880 million for priority programs, Rs10,600 million for special packages, Rs433 million for rural development, Rs585 million for antiquities, Rs137 million for human rights, Rs3,000 million allocated for chief minister's directives and Rs1,000 million allocation for Governor's directives.

Provincial government allocated Rs362 million for the development schemes of population welfare, Rs8,561.420 million for special initiatives, Rs61.060 million for water and drainage, Rs5,564.213 million for PP&H, Rs1652.796 million for local government, Rs1,500 million for home, Rs1,500 million for SGA&CD, Rs5 million for PHE, Rs500 million for BoR, Rs406.417 million for Planning and Development and Rs1,715 million allocated in the head of others (local government).

Summary further revealed that government allocated Rs4,210.748 million for transport and communication, Rs2,785.034 million for local government, Rs1,352.714 million for works and services, Rs100 million for home, Rs395 million for education, Rs10 million for culture, Rs130.687 million for tourism, Rs98.736 million for environment (PHED), Rs4,001.962 million for health, Rs60 million for sports, Rs1,000 million for SGA&CD, Rs 5 million for livestock and fisheries, Rs5 million for water and drainage, Rs 2047 milion for PP&H, Rs110 million for tourism, Rs754.422 million for devolved projects and Rs6,700 million for P&D.

The Sindh government also allocated Rs20 billion in the head of district programme which is also part of total provincial development outlay, sources said.

Sindh government has also added Rs37 billion of foreign-funded projects (loans/grants) in the ADP 2012-13, including additional financing for the Sindh on-farm-water management project, (Rs1,500 million), Japanese assisted rural road construction project phase-II ( Rs2,000 million), construction of 61-kilometre-long Nawabshah-Sanghar road project (Rs1,200 million), Sindh coastal community development project (Rs1,290 million), Sindh cities improvement program (Rs2,600 million), flood emergency reconstruction project (Rs17,187 million), Municipal service delivery m program (Rs1,000 million), Sindh water sector improvement project (Rs5,400 million), procurement of machinery for rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure ( Rs817 million), Sindh Skill development project (Rs707 million), Sindh Basic Education program (Rs3,400 million) and Mehran highway road project (Rs573 million). YASIR BABBAR Copyrights Business Recorder.