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Local govt gets top ADP priority

Tk 30,500cr scheme approved; govt focuses project implementation

Rejaul Karim Byron
The size of the annual development programme (ADP) in the budget for next fiscal year (FY-10) has been set at Tk 30,500 crore, which is 33 percent higher than that of the revised ADP for the current FY.
In the next ADP, additional allocation has been made for removal of regional disparity and development of women, children and those who do not have any assets.
1 hough power is the top priority sector, the Power Division has got the second highest allocation in the next ADP, and that is only 11 per cent higher than rhe allocation for power sector in the revised ADP for this year.
But the Local Government Division has got the highest allocation in the next ADR which is 38 percent higher than that in the current FY.
The National Economic Council (NEC) at a meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair approved the new ADP.
Talking to journalists later. Planning Minister AK Khandkersaid, "We will ask ministries to start implementing the next ADP at the beginning (of I Y) so that it is completed in time. We will try to ensure timely release of project funds."
Asked about the allocation for power sector in the next FY, he said it is similar to that of this year. He however said block allocations have been made for different sectoi s. If it is seen that power sector can utilise more funds, it will get that Money will be no problem, he added.
I he original ADP this year was of Tk 25,600 crore, and the revised ADP was ofTk 23,000 crore
TheTk 30,500 crore next ADP will consist of Tk 16,365 crore foreign aid or 53.65 per cent.
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and Tk 14,135 crore internal resource or 46.34 percent.
In the revised ADP this year, dependence on foreign aid was high, and it has come down in the next ADP. Foreign resources totalled 56.47 percent in the revised ADP
The highest allocation in the next ADP goes to Local iGovernment Division— Tk 6,486 crore or 21 per cint of the total ADP funds, next comes Power Division withTk 3,233 crore or 10.27 percent, health ministry got Tk 3,063 crore or 10.05 per cent, communications ministry Tk 2,889 crore or 9.47 percent, primary and mass education ministry Tk 2,828 crore or 9.27 per cent, education ministry Tk 947 crore or 3.11 per cent, agriculture ministry Tk 860 crore or 2.82 per cent, and Energy and Mineral Resources Division Tk 683 crore or 2.24 percent.
In the next ADR allocations for power and agriculture sectors increased minimally r over those in the revised ADP this year. Power Division got 11 percent increase, and agricul- . ture ministry eight per cent.
The Local Government Division got 38 per cent higher allocation, primary and mass
education ministry 33 per cent and health and communications ministries 22 per cent.
To address regional disparity, additional allocation has been made for different projects in Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal divisions. Rajshahi Division got Tk 1,268 crore, which is 4.15 percent of the total ADP allocation , Khulna got Tk 1,^63 crore or 3.18 per cent and Barisal Tk 1,019 crore or 3.34 percent
For empowerment of women and bringing about gender parity.Tk 4,23 crore has been allocated in the new ADP . The projects for this include those for development of women and children with no asset, district-wise women computer training centres, city-based distressed women development programme, rural employment and road maintenance programme, nursing institute etc.
In the ICT sector, Tk 544
crore has been allocated in the new ADP, compared to Tk 294 crore in the revised ADP
The next ADP has set aside Tk 660 crore for special development sector. However, no separate allocation has been made for 39 ultra-poor areas. The last caretaker government kept Tk 40 crore in the current | ADP for the purpose.
Of the total ADP allocation for next FY, 57 per cent is for poverty alleviation purposes, the planning ministry said in a report.
The number of projects in the next ADP is 886. Of this, 851 are carried over to the next FY from the current FY, and 35 projects are new.
Besides, 487 unapproved new projects in the list of next ADP got no allocation. However, Tk 1841 crore has been set aside for these projects, and the amount will be allocated after the projects get approval.