The report exposes a significant gap between budget allocations and actual spending across all departments, underscoring inefficiencies in fund utilisation during the third quarter of the 2024–25 fiscal year.
According to the report, the Punjab government allocated a total of Rs488.43b for development in Q3, but only Rs355.43b was spent.
Department-wise spending
Several departments in Punjab fell significantly short of utilising their allocated development budgets for the third quarter of the fiscal year. The Agriculture Department, for instance, received Rs3b but managed to spend only Rs1.21b.
The Board of Revenue was allocated Rs30.5b but utilised just Rs4.79b. The Communication and Works Department spent Rs2.91b out of its Rs4.62b allocation, mirroring the Education Department, which also received Rs4.62b but spent only Rs2.91b. The Finance Department used Rs1.33b from its Rs2.3b budget. Meanwhile, the Forests, Wildlife & Fisheries Department performed better than most, spending Rs296.04b out of a massive Rs324.24b allocation.
The Health Department used Rs1.26b of its Rs1.98b budget, while the Home Department spent just Rs2.18b from Rs25.5b allocated. The Housing & Public Health Engineering Department saw Rs1.22b earmarked for development, with only Rs670m spent.
Similarly, the Industry, Trade & Investment Department utilised just Rs270m of its Rs1.64b budget. The Irrigation Department spent Rs5.85b of its Rs19.5b allocation, and the Livestock & Dairy Development Department managed to use only Rs930m from its Rs1.97b budget.
Limited Progress in other departments
The Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department spent Rs1b of its Rs1.41b allocation, while the Mines & Minerals Department used Rs12.06b out of Rs31b. The Police Department was among the better performers, utilising Rs13.93b from its Rs16.25b budget.
Under miscellaneous expenses, Rs24.17b was allocated, but only Rs7.65b was used.
The findings have sparked concern over bureaucratic inefficiencies and a lack of execution in developmental planning, especially as the province grapples with socio-economic challenges. The report is expected to prompt tough questions in the ongoing assembly discussions.