Budget focused on education, health, security, local bodies

CM says provincial govt unhappy with the schemes offered by the Centre

KARACHI:

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Sunday said that it was for the first time that he did not have to shout himself hoarse for the budget speech.

With the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf lawmakers either in jail or on the run after the May 9 riots, Murad said it was the first budget speech he delivered comfortably and his throat was also fine. There was no commotion in the house, he quipped.

Regarding the budget proposals, Murad said that budget consisting of record Rs2.25 trillion outlay has record allocation of Rs800 billion for four major goals ¬ education, health, law and order and local bodies.

Speaking at a post-budget press conference at Sindh Assembly Auditorium, the CM said that they received $2 billion from external sources for flood relief and managing such a huge amount in four months was a great achievement. Similarly, Rs25 billion were obtained from external sources for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of flood affected houses.

He reminded that although the irrigation system of the province was destroyed, there was a record production of wheat this season.

Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon, Labor and Manpower Minister Syed Ghani, Sindh Government Spokesperson Murtaza Wahab were also present on this occasion.

Shah said that current capital expenditure has increased this year because the loans obtained by the provincial government ballooned due to rising cost of dollar.

CM said that the provincial government is not happy with the schemes offered in the federal budget.

The provincial government believes that Sindh deserves a lot and "we have discussed this with the federal government as well."

Schemes of Karachi

The chief executive of the province said there are Rs701 billion worth of foreign-funded schemes for Karachi. Of this amount, at least Rs127 billion has been allocated for World Bank-funded Competitive and Livable City of Karachi (Click) Project which will be executed by the local government.

He pointed out that Rs27 billion has been allocated for the ambitious WB-funded Yellow Line project, Rs27.2 billion have been allocated for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Improvement Project.

Apart from this, an amount of Rs27.5 billion has been reserved for local councils, while 14.5 billion are for solid waste management schemes. The work of BRT red line is also going on, for which an amount of Rs26 billion has been allocated, besides an amount of Rs23 billion has been allocated for the yellow line.

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre Hospital has been given a new cyber knife worth Rs1 billion, which will benefit the entire country. He said that Rs1.2 billion for Karachi Thatta Dual Carriage Way, Rs389 billion scheme of NICH.

He said that M9 M5 Link is a project of Rs2 billion , Malir Expressway is a project of Rs27.5, Maripur Expressway is a project of 11.2 billion dollars, Dhabiji Industrial Estate is a project of Rs16 billion and these are the projects that have been completed

He said that M9 M5 Link is a project of Rs2 billion, Malir Expressway is a project of Rs27.5 billion, Maripur Expressway is a project of 11.2 billion dollars, Dhabiji Industrial Estate is a project of Rs16 billion and these are the projects that have been completed

Karachi- Hub water canal project is in the bidding stage, which is a project worth Rs24 billion, while the waste water treatment project is worth Rs125 billion. Apart from this, Waste Water Treatment Plant One is a Rs60 billion project, Jinnah Hospital Safety and Security Project is Rs2 billion, Marble City Project is Rs5 billion, NED Technology Pak Project is a Rs24 billion project.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2023.