LAHORE, Jan 21 (APP):Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a meeting here on Tuesday to review six-month progress on the provincial Annual Development Programme (ADP).
The meeting was told that ADP’s total volume was Rs 350 billion and Rs 42 billion was allocated for public-private partnership based projects. An amount of Rs 183 billion was released till January 17, 2020, and different provincial departments utilised Rs 106 billion on different ADP schemes. While, Planning and Development Department of Punjab (P&D) has accorded approval to 85 schemes during last 45 days.
The CM directed the authorities concerned to expedite work on ADP projects, and provincial departments should get their schemes approved by January 31, 2020. Any departmental delay in this regard would not be tolerated, he warned.
Sardar Usman Buzdar said that mega projects were being started through public-private partnership (PPP) to expedite economic development, besides provision of necessary facilities to the people. He directed to ensure timely utilisation of ADP funds and observed that an effective monitoring system was imperative in this regard.
“The ADP targets must be achieved at any cost and action will be initiated against departments failing to achieve their targets. I want practical steps instead of paperwork and the departments failing in timely utilize their development funds will be answerable as we being public representatives are answerable to the people,” he added.
The CM warned that difference between ground situation and file work would not be tolerated anymore and officers would have to do field work and monitor the ADP progress. “I will review ADP progress every month,” he added.
Usman Buzdar said that quality and timely completion of ADP projects should be especially focused so that people could take maximum benefit. He also directed to expedite the pace of work on foreign-funded projects for their timely completion.
The P&D Punjab Chairman and Secretary briefed the meeting about ADP funds utilization and progress on PPP mode schemes. Chief Minister’s Advisor Salman Shah, MPA Mussarat Jamshed Cheema, Punjab Chief Secretary and administrative secretaries attended the meeting.
