Govt slammed over budget

Opposition benches called provincial budget for 2019-20 harmful to the provincial economy and people

PESHAWAR: Opposition benches in the K-P Assembly on Saturday called provincial budget for 2019-20 harmful to the provincial economy and people, whereas the treasury benches tagged it as public friendly.

While taking part in the debate on provincial post budget, Leader of Opposition Maulana Lutfur Rehman has said that the provincial government has tabled a budget with deficit of Rs85 billion, while the economy has been made dependent on the resources of International Monitory Fund (IMF) though PM Iman had once announced that he would commit suicide if the take loan from IMF.

The prices of the daily commodities are rising on rocket speed, Rehman said pointing out that inflation had touched 13 per cent for the first time in the country’s history, Rehman said.

PPP MPA Ahmed Kundi said that PTI government gave zero relief for financial year 2019-20.

Calling the budget making exercise a waste of public money and trashed project, he said besides making budgetary allocation for the tribal belt the government should also provide political liberties there.

The Pakistan Muslim league Q member of provincial assembly Mufti Ubaidur Rehman appreciated the efforts of the government for presenting the public friendly budget.

The MMA MPA Rehana Ismail said what was the need of separate allocation for the merged districts when these areas had been made part of K-P.

MMA MPA Nisar Gul and ANP’s Sardar Khan criticising the budget said the government is earning billions of rupees in oil and gas sector from southern districts, but not spending it on the uplift of the area.

ANP’s Nisar Khan said he had been deprived of his development funds on the directives of the ministers.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2019.