The unprecedented increase in the education and health sectors is a welcome step
LAHORE: The recently presented Rs1.68 trillion Punjab budget sheds light on the topmost priorities of the provincial government. The budget envisages the creation of 500,000 jobs and has an outlay of Rs500 billion in the development sector. A large part of the budget focuses on the social sector as 31 per cent of total resources are allocated to this sector, followed by infrastructure at 29 per cent and the services sector at 20 per cent. The development budget ranges from transport, irrigation, water supply and energy projects, besides agricultural subsidies.
The government also announced the Kissan Package worth Rs50 billion, allocated Rs313 billion for education, Rs150 billion for the health sector, Rs30 billion for clean drinking water, Rs92 billion for transport infrastructure and, last but not least, Rs27 billion for Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads Programme. The unprecedented increase in the education and health sectors is a welcome step as it shows that the government is bent upon paying special attention to the needs of the people. It is hoped that the budget allocated to each sector will be utilised in a proper way and will pave the way for socio-economic development of the province and the country.
Shehar Bano Syed
Published in The Express Tribune, June 23rd, 2016.
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