Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s government announced a greater budget for development activities in the next fiscal year.
The Minister of Finance, AFTAB Alam Afridi, presented an Annual Development Plan (ADP) of RS547 billion by 2025-26. This amount is approximately 32 percent, or RS131bn, higher than the RS416bn of the current year.
The allocations under the proposed development expense for the next fiscal year include RS195Bn for PADP, RS39B for districts, RS39.6bn for fused districts, RS92.7bn for the accelerated implementation program for the fused districts, RS177.1bn as assistance of foreign projects and RS3.47bn for PSDP.
Budget documents reveal that the provincial government has proposed 1,349 schemes in progress and 810 new schemes in the disbursement of development for next year.
Similarly, the number of total schemes financed abroad in ADP 2025-26 is 49, distributed in 19 different sectors, with an assignment of RS 177.1bn, of which RS11.6bn is a subsidy and RS165.5bn is a loan from several countries.
Budget documents show that a maximum allocation has been proposed, which is 73PC, for the ongoing schemes to guarantee its timely completion and minimize launch liabilities.
A large part of the ADP has been assigned for the multisectoral development of the provincial government, RS53.6bn for the road sector, RS27B for the Department of Health, RS13.6bn for the Department of Primary and Secondary Education, RS10.8bn for water and sanctimations to drink, RS25bn for water, RS9B for urban development, RS8.8.8. Sports and RS for water, RS9B for urban development, RS8.8. Agricultural sector
According to budget documents, the provincial government has assigned RS1.2 billion for the improvement of 2,500 basic health units in rural and urban areas. Similarly, it has also planned to establish satellite cardiac units of the Peshawar Cardiology Institute in Mardan and Bannu, as well as a University of Nursing at Alto Chitral.
Budget documents reveal that the Government has decided to impose an “emergency education” in the province and assigned RS5BN to register children outside the school.
The Government has also assigned RS1.6 billion for the salaries of the teachers that serve in community schools, RS8.5bn for the textbooks that the government distributes among the students, RS3BN for the establishment of a school of cadets in Dera Ismail Khan, RS1BN to hire teachers temporarily in the schools that face the scarcity of teaching.
Taking into account the worrying financial conditions of public sector universities in the province, the development budget has increased to RS10BN from RS3BN.
The Government has also assigned RS2.7bn to convert government universities into applied sciences and technology centers, RS3.5bn for the construction of five new universities, RS1.2 billion for scholarships and endowment funds.
To equip the Police Department with weapons, vehicles and other purchases, RS13BN has been assigned, including RS3BN for fused districts.
The Government has assigned RS9.6 billion for the duration of the Bannu-Miranshah road in the South Waziristan district and RS1.2 for Chashma Dara Tung Road through Kafer Kot. For providing drinking water through the Department of Public Health, RS17BN has been assigned, including RS1.2BN Distrits, RS1BN RS1BN for the Central District, RS. Fused districts and RS0.57 billion for the northern districts of the province.
Posted in Dawn, June 14, 2025
