LAHORE, Pakistan: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led Punjab government presented its eighth consecutive budget in the provincial assembly on Friday with a total outlay of Rs1447.2 billion.
In a special session of the Punjab assembly in Lahore on Friday afternoon, the Punjab Finance Minister Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha presented the budget 2015-2016, announcing that Rs400 billion have been allocated for the next year’s annual development programme.
The minister said that Rs110 billion have been earmarked for maintaining law and order, Rs166 billion for health sector, Rs21 billion for irrigation while Rs70 billion for clean drinking water in the next three years.
The finance minister announced that the salaries of the Punjab government employees have been increased by 7.5 percent.
Dr Ayesha said that Rs26 billion will be spent on metro bus Multan Project while four new Danish schools will be established this year. She announced that Rs18 billion have been earmarked for judiciary.
The minister said that another Rs8 billion have been allocated for livestock and Rs20.10 billion for women development.
In his Punjab budget 2015-16, the minister further announced that the provincial government would provide jobs to one million youth by 2018.
Moreover, she said that various energy projects are underway at a cost of Rs618 billion to minimize the power crisis.
Earlier, the Punjab Cabinet has approved the budget proposals for the next fiscal year at a meeting held in Lahore with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the Chair.
The Chief Minister said that the government will allocated ample funds in the budget for development of all areas of the province. He said that focus has been laid on health, education, energy, clean drinking water and construction of roads in rural areas.
