Amraiz Khan
Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Monday said that Punjab budget 2021-22 depicts public aspirations as people were long awaiting such financial policy to ensure across the board composite development and prosperity in the province.
While commenting on the annual budget of Punjab for the financial year 2021-22, Dr Firdous said that all the previous budgets were aimed at benefiting a particular segment of society and the poor strata were ignored in the past.
The past governments fully exploited the poor and the needy through exploitative policies, she said.
The Special Assistant said the PTI government has to clean the dust of past corruption for two long years and it worked hard to get rid of the maladministration of the past.
Due to it, no substantial relief was arranged for the people initially but the duo of PM Imran Khan and CM Usman Buzdar has burnt the midnight oil to improve the sagging economy.
Today, the PTI government has come to a position to present a public-friendly budget to bring change at the grassroots, she said.
Dr Firdous said this budget will change the destiny of the people while strengthening the economy. The colossal 560 billion development budget will ensure composite development in the province and a 35 percent share will be given to South Punjab.
She said the development-oriented budget will open new avenues of development and prosperity in the province.
The SACM said that Rs54 billion have been allocated in the budget for the education sector to implement the manifesto of the PTI government.
She said that more than Rs31 billion have been allocated for the agriculture sector whereas Rs98 billion have been allocated for the health sector which will consequently revolutionize the health sector.
By the end of this year, every citizen of Punjab will get a health card through which they will be able to get quality health facilities and issues related to the health sector will be minimized significantly, she said.
Dr Firdous said that more than Rs18 billion have been allocated for water supply and sewerage, Rs27 billion has been earmarked for planning and development and Rs10 billion for the initiatives related to economic development.
She said the government has allocated more than Rs58 billion for road infrastructure, more than Rs30 billion for irrigation, more than Rs5 billion for the energy sector and more than Rs19 billion for government buildings.
