ISLAMABAD - The federal government is likely to divert Rs 12 billion (approximately 2pc) from the Federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conducting the upcoming elections, it is learnt reliably here. The Planning Commission has imposed a cut of Rs 12 billion on the allocation of 11 development projects in the PSDP 2022-23 and has now decided to return the amount to Finance Division for onward transfer to the Election Commission of Pakistan, official source told The Nation. A summary in this regard will be moved to the competent forum for approval to redirect the funds from developmental to current expenditure, the source said. The funds will be forwarded to the election commission of Pakistan for holding the upcoming elections, the source maintained. The total rupee component of the PSDP 2022-23 is Rs 667 billion. It is worth to mention here that the Planning Commission had earlier this week imposed a cut on the allocations of 11 slow moving development projects in Public Sector Development Programme 2022-23 (PSDP).The total allocations for these projects in the PSDP 2022-23 were Rs 20.403 billion, which has been reduced to Rs 8.403 billion only, the source maintained. The ministries/divisions that are affected by the decision include Board of Investment, National Highway Authority, Federal Education, Inter provincial Coordination Division, Interior Division, Planning Development & Special Initiatives, and Power Division. On the project of Locust Emergency and Food Security Project of the National Food Security & Research Division, a cut of Rs 3 billion had been imposed. The total allocation for the project was Rs 3.2 billion, which has now been reduced to only Rs 200 million, the source said.
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On the project of Secondary Transmission Lines & Grid Stations 2021-22 (HESCO) of Power Division, a cut of Rs 1.5 billion has been imposed. The earlier allocation of the project was Rs 2 billion, which has been reduced to Rs 500 million. On the NHA projects of Dualisation & Rehabilitation of Karachi - Kararo (232 Kms) & Wadh - Khuzdar (41 Kms) (Total Length 273 Kms) - N-25 and Dualisation & Rehabilitation of Kararo - Wadh (83 Kms) & Kuchlak - Chaman (104 Kms) (Total Length 187 Kms) - N-25 a cut of Rs 1.5 billion each was imposed.