Nurturing its political rancor, Punjab govt shelves 240 uplift schemes

While nurturing his political rancor, the Punjab chief minister has shelved 240 development schemes worth Rs1.37 trillion by putting them in the negative list, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

In the current fiscal budget, 240 uplift schemes costing Rs1.37 trillion were approved for 11 departments. But the Punjab government, in its vehemence to further its political acrimony, has abandoned these schemes thus depriving these departments of their funds. 

The development schemes which have been put in the negative list are mostly related to education, health, communication and clean water sectors. 

According to documents, in the current budget, Rs10.2 billion were earmarked for 240 development schemes. 

For the department of higher education, Rs7.19 billion were set aside for the launch of 15 schemes; Rs56 billion were allocated for 150 schemes in road sector; Rs61 billion were approved for 30 development schemes in urban development; and Rs6.5 billion were sanctioned for four uplift schemes in public health sector. But all these schemes along with some other uplift plans including 11 water supply, 7 sports, 14 schemes of local government and one scheme of special education were put in the negative list by the Punjab government.

Sources said that all these schemes have been shelved on the direction of Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. 

Now the funds allocated to these schemes will be diverted to other development projects, sources concluded. 

Reporter Ali Ramay