Annual Development Program(ADP)to the tune of Taka 2 lakh two thousand 721 crore for the upcoming budget of 2019-20 has been finalized in an extended meeting of Planning ministry. The transport sector was given highest allocation followed by electricity, infrastructure development while education and religious affairs sectors were the fourth place.
The extended meeting was held at the NEC conference room on Wednesday (May 8) chaired by Planning Minister M.A. Mannan. After the meeting the Minister informed the waiting journalists about decisions taken in the meeting. For final nod it will be placed in the meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) soon.
A source of the Planning ministry informed that of the total ADP size of Taka 2 lakh 2 thousand 721 crore beside the autonomous body’s financing the government contribution will be Taka 1 lakh 30 thousand 921 crore and a loan of Taka 71 thousand 800 crore will be taken from foreign sources.
Minister M.A. Mannan placed the progress of ADP implementation as 54.63 percent amounting to Taka 96 thousand 493 crore till April. In the same period of last year the progress was 52.42 percent amounting to Taka 82 thousand 603 crore.
Planning division secretary Md. Nurul Amin placed the sector wise allocation. He informed that in the transport sector the proposed allocation is Taka 52 thousand 805 crore 69 lakh which is 26.5 percent of the total ADP. The allocation in the electricity sector is Taka 26 thousand 17 crore 13 lakh which is 12.5 percent of the ADP. Taka 24 324 crore is earmarked for infrastructure planning, water supply and housing sectors which is 12 percent of the ADP. In Education and Religious affairs sectors the allocation is proposed to Taka 21 thousand 379 crore 12 lakh which is 10.55 of the ADP.
The Planning Minister said that all sectors were attached equal importance. He said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from 2009 has done enormous development in the country following a new strategy, now we cannot move away from that strategy while it is not even practical.
He said that we have given special emphasis in human resource development, electricity, infrastructural development, agriculture, health, education because these gave us good return.
When asked whether the ministry is taking any step to break the chain of delayed implementation practice, the Minister replied that we are taking steps. The Implementation, monitoring, evaluation division(IMED) is being strengthened. The project directors who are working in the field have been given more freedom. I think that they are now staying more in the rural areas. I hope that at the year end you will get surprisingly good news.
In another question of ADP implementation the Minister said that our visible progress is much more however the expenditure is the real reflection of the progress. We are not afraid. Because we did progress in similar way last year. We also have done development this year. We are not scared. Because we know that there are many unpaid bills pending in the Accounts offices.