The government has approved a Tk 2.02-trillion Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the next fiscal year (FY), 2019-20, which is 21 per cent higher than the allocation for the current FY.
Presided over by Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina, a meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), held in Dhaka on Tuesday, endorsed the ADP, said Planning Minister M A Mannan.
The size of the revised ADP is Tk 1.67 trillion in the current FY, 2018-19.
In addition, the government also approved another development programme for the next FY, which involves Tk 123.93 billion, for the state-run autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies, M A Mannan told journalists.
According to the proposal, the government agencies under different ministries and divisions will receive the funds for implementing some 1,475 projects across the country.
Among these, the ADP has included some 58 development projects, whose execution deadline is going to end in June. These projects have been kept aside for completion in FY 20.
Meanwhile, the transport sector has received the highest allocation of Tk 528.06 billion or 26.05 per cent of the total Tk 2.02-trillion ADP outlay for next FY.
The power sector has got the second highest, Tk 260.17 billion or 12.83 per cent, of the total outlay for FY 20.
The infrastructure planning, water supply and housing sector has been proposed to receive the third highest, Tk 243.24 billion (12 per cent), and the education and religion sector the fourth highest, Tk 213.79 billion (10.55 per cent), funds.
However, the mass communications sector is set to receive the lowest fund, amounting to Tk 2.85 billion, which is 0.14 per cent of the total ADP outlay in the next fiscal.
The Planning Commission (PC) officials said they have proposed Tk 1.31 trillion funds or 65 per cent of the total Tk 2.02 trillion outlay in the next development budget from internal income.
Besides, they projected the remaining Tk 718 billion or 35 per cent as project aid from external sources in the proposed ADP for FY 20.
Among the ministries and divisions, the Local Government Division has bagged the highest allocation of Tk 297.77 billion in the next ADP.
Besides, the Power Division got the second highest, Tk 260.14 billion, and the Road Transport and Highways Division the third highest, Tk 251.63 billion.
The NEC has kept Tk 9.62 billion as 'block allocation' in the ADP for FY 20 for special necessities.
The government revised the ongoing ADP in the third quarter of the current FY, trimming down the allocation to Tk 1.67 trillion from the original Tk 1.73 trillion, due to poor performance of the government agencies concerned in project implementation.
The planning minister said the government agencies spent Tk 970.30 billion or 55 per cent of the revised ADP until this April.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the NEC meeting on Tuesday asked the authorities concerned to expand ongoing research on jute, the minister further said.
She also asked the PC to find out the reasons behind incompletion of some development projects in time, which were earmarked for completion within this fiscal.
When asked about the Rooppur Power Plant scam, the planning minister said they will send a team of the Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) to the project site for investigating the issue and submit a report accordingly.
"We will share findings of the report with the PM."
She also directed the authorities concerned not to use cultivable lands for project work, he added.
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