Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman on Thursday presented Rs5,446 billion budget 2024-25 in the Punjab Assembly amid ruckus by the opposition.
The budget session started two hours late with Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan in the chair. The session was due at 2pm.
Opposition protest
The opposition staged a strong protest during the budget presentation. Led by Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Bhachar, the opposition members gathered in front of the speaker’s dais. They tore up the budget documents and waved them in the House. They chanted slogans against the Punjab government. The opposition caused an uproar in the House in the presence of Maryam Nawaz.
Journalists walk out
Journalists also staged a walkout from the press gallery in protest against the defamation law.
Salaries, pensions, service delivery
Following the federal government, the Punjab government also increased the salaries of the government employees by up to 25 percent. The provincial government increased by the pension of the retired employees by 15 percent. The government allocated Rs610 billion for salaries, Rs445 billion for pensions, and Rs840 billion for service delivery costs.
Rs842 billion development budget
A sum of Rs842 billion has been earmarked for the development budget. Specific allocations are Rs30 billion for Ramazan Package and Rs8 billion for the Central Business District (CBD).
In the development budget outlines, 1,863 total schemes will be presented – 1,617 are ongoing schemes and 246 new schemes will be launched. The roads sector allocation is over Rs22 billion.
Healthcare and social welfare
Rs76.5 billion have been earmarked for specialised healthcare, Rs33.89 billion for primary healthcare, Rs3 billion for population welfare, Rs2 billion for water supply and sanitation, Rs1.7 billion for social welfare, Rs14 billion for local government and community development, and Rs0.92 billion have been fixed for women development.
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