KP cabinet approves Rs33bn supplementary budget grant

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on Thursday approved an extra Rs33 billion as supplementary budget grant to various sectors by enhancing their sectoral allocations in the Annual Development Programme 2024-25.

The approval was granted as per distribution proposed by the Planning and Development Department at the 29th meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet which was chaired by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

The extra funds were allocated to high priority and due for completion projects with the aim to boost up the high impact projects with the ADP, said an official communique, adding this increase was made possible by the stringent measures, financial discipline and the efficient utilisation of the allocated budget.

The chief minister termed the development as an effective strategy vital for the timely completion of the province’s key projects.

The cabinet also approved the enhancement of the volume of the scheme ‘Ehsaas Hunar Programme’ to Rs3050 million. Under this scheme, interest-fee loans would be provided to the youth having technical and vocational skills for self-employment/entrepreneurship. The Bank of Khyber would serve as a service provider for the project.

The cabinet further approved the Gazette Notification of Gallies in Abbottabad and Bashkar Garam Chashma in Chitral as biosphere reserves under Section 30 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Wildlife and Biodiversity Act, 2015.

These two sites were added to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves on June 14, 2023 by UNESCO.

With this recognition, Pakistan now has a total of four internationally acknowledged biosphere reserves, including Lal Suhanra (Punjab) and Ziarat Juniper Forest (Balochistan), contributing to the global network of 758 biosphere reserves. The two reserves were identified to meet international commitments under the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme aimed at afforestation, restoration of degraded lands, forests, protection of wildlife and expanding Pakistan’s biosphere. The chief minister directed the formulation of a comprehensive strategy for the protection of such sites. Similarly, the cabinet also approved amendments to Rules 10 and 11 of the West Pakistan Notaries Rules, 1965, increasing the fees for appointment, area extension, renewal, and issuance of duplicates. Originally set in 1965 at Rs 100, Rs 50, Rs 25, and Rs 5, respectively, these fees have now been revised to Rs 20,000 for appointment, Rs10,000 for area extension, Rs 10,000 for renewal, and Rs 2,000 for duplicates. Fee with respect to other notarial work under Rule-11 have also been enhanced.

The cabinet also approved a supplementary grant to the tune of Rs1726.100 million for two ADP schemes to ensure completion of all the 760 earthquake affected units (schools) in the province. The earthquake of October 8, 2005 had caused large scale destruction of infrastructure, including 3700 Educational institutes mostly in four districts of Hazara Division and one district of Malakand Division (Shangla) were badly affected.