ISLAMABAD: Like in the past, majority of new development schemes of Higher Education Commission (HEC) are unlikely to get funding in 2016-17.

For financial year 2016-17, the government has allocated Rs21.5 billion for ongoing and new development schemes of the HEC.

However, out of the total 39 new development schemes,35 are unapproved and their funding is conditional with the approval of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP).

Budget documents 2015-16 show that the federal government had allocated funds for 56 new development schemes, but according tothe new budget documents for fiscal year 201617, majority of the projects could not get approval of the CDWP.

In 2015-16, only 19 development schemes could get approval of the CDWP.

The HEC officials Dawn spoke to feared that fate of 35 new unapproved projects would be the same as those which had been announced in 2015-16 but could not get through the CDWP. `The HEC will have to vigorously pursue the cases. If the 35 unapproved projects cannot get the nod of the respective forums such as the CDWP, the earmarked funds will remain a mere allocation, said an official of the HEC.

For upcoming financial year, the federal government has not made any significantincrease in the development budgets of the HEC, but recurring budget got a reasonable increase from Rs51 billion to Rs58 billion.

Last year, the government had allocated Rs70 billion for development and non-development expenditure of the H E C. For 2016-17, the government has earmarl(ed Rs79.5 billion for higher education sector, which, according to the budget speech of Ishaq Dar, is 11pc higher than last year and highest ever in the HEC`s history.

However, comparisons of development budgets for financial year 2015-16 and 2016-17 reveal a meagre increase from Rs20.5 billion to Rs21.48 billion.

The budgetary documents show that the federal government has allocatedRs21,486.487 million (Rs21.4 billion) for the ongoing development schemes and 39 new projects.

When contacted, the HEC spokesperson Ayesha Ikram denied any delay in development schemes.

To a query, she said that there were 55 unapproved development projects in Public Sector Development Programme for 2015-16, of them 28 had been approved. Of 64 development projects for fiscal year 2015-16, almost 42 have been approved, she said.

When asked about the fate of 35 new unapproved projects announced for fiscal year 2016-17, the, spokesperson said: `We are hopeful of getting these projects approved by the CDWP in the upcoming fiscal year.