CM Buzdar claims record development

Terms budget pro-farmer, highlights district development scheme

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar claimed on Wednesday that the PTI government had not set a record of development work but also introduced a pro-people and pro-farmer budget for the fiscal year 2021-22.

He was addressing Punjab Assembly at the conclusion of the budget session.

Earlier, as Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi called the name of CM Buzdar to speak, opposition lawmakers requested him to allow them to speak on a point of order.

On being denied the permission, they left the house as the CM stated his speech.

Buzdar named several projects allegedly stopped by the previous government led by the PML-N.

It was the PTI government that had made the people aware of their rights and provided relief to them, he claimed, adding that every sector had made progress and the things were on the right track.

Read Buzdar okays roads rehabilitation plan

Terming the budget pro-people and farmers, he said every department was being given sufficient development funds.

It was the first time that the government had addressed the public representatives' grievances in the budget, he said, adding that it had focused on people's problems at the district level, which the previous rulers had ignored for decades.

The chief minister said the provincial government had increased the development budget of health sector by 185 per cent, higher education 286%, school education 29%, agriculture 306% and industries department 307%.

He said the government had increased the allocation of minorities by 400% and allocated Rs193 billion for South Punjab. The budge for roads, livestock and local governments had also been increased substantially.

The chief minister said his was the first government that had introduced the District Development Packages to solve problems of neglected areas.

Punjab had achieved its tax target and gone into surplus, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 1^st, 2021.