Lahore - Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that despite a difficult situation, a welfare-oriented budget will be presented in the Punjab Assembly.
The chief minister said a comprehensive strategy would be evolved to curtail non-developmental expenditures. He said special attention would be paid to education, health, energy and infrastructure sectors in the forthcoming budget. He said effective steps would be taken for the welfare of downtrodden and poor people. He asserted the budget would reflect public aspirations and focus on the regional balance, adding like the previous year more funds would be allocated for the development and prosperity of the people of South Punjab.
He was presiding over a high-level meeting at Modal Town on Saturday to consider proposals regarding the provincial budget for financial year 2013-14. Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Local Government and Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan, Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Adviser to Chief Minister Azm-ul-Haq, the chief secretary, the P&D chairman, the finance secretary and other officials concerned were also present.
The chief minister said the upcoming budget would prove to be a new roadmap of development and prosperity in the province. He revealed special measures would be taken for the development of social sectors while promotion of economic activities, provision of new job opportunities and poverty alleviation would be priorities of the government. The chief minister said the steps to be suggested in the budget would ensure provision of an atmosphere conducive to the participation of the private sector. He added concrete steps would be taken to increase agricultural and industrial production.
Shahbaz Sharif said more funds would be allocated for the uplift of education, health, energy and social sectors. He claimed the budget would be the best, balanced and people-friendly, which would include projects for the development and prosperity of the people aiming at improving their living standard. He said a new era of development and prosperity would begin with the implementation of the steps proposed in the new budget. The chief minister disclosed more funds than that of the previous year would be allocated for the development of less developed areas. He added that measures would also be taken with regard to simplicity, austerity and saving at government level in the budget. He further said concrete steps would be taken for the betterment of women and the neglected segments of the society. The Punjab government had diverted resources towards the development and prosperity of poor and less privileged segments of the society, he said. The meeting considered various proposals regarding the budget.