LAHORE - The provincial bureaucracy, while deeming term 'Ad hoc Relief Allowance nothing as such, has considered 15 per cent 'relief of no use in view of steep price-hike and inflation over a period. The Punjab government on Tuesday announced 15 per cent Ad hoc Relief Allowance for the public servants, while giving 15 per cent increase in the Net Pension of the retired servants. These both will be applicable from July 1 this year. In the concluding paragraph of his budget speech, Punjab Finance Minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira made an over-bearing announcement, while acknowledging the fact that the price-hike and inflation have adversely affected all tiers of the society, and the salaried class has been hugely hit especially. In this years fiscal layout, like that of the previous year as well, the government has vowed again to provide housing facilities to the retired public servants. Rs 1b subsidy is given to the Punjab Government Servants Housing Foundation for the providing constructed houses to the public servants on their retirement. Secondly, Rs 1b will be also given as loan to the public servants, which will be returned in easy instalments, told the Minister Finance to the Punjab Assembly. This has not sat well with the public servants as they consider it a very 'small increase, which is not going to help them meet their needs in any possible way. I dont think that I will be able to buy anything with this amount, as my all expenses have already gone up, observed a Provincial Management Service officer, who has virtually nothing in store for him in case of any emergency. On Tuesday, prior to the budget announcement, the All Pakistan Clerks Association took to the city roads protesting against the increase, and the APCA deemed it nothing keeping in mind the rates of various commodities. Their protests have become a routine now, while the government is yet to take tangible steps for providing them any relief, and actualising their demands. The masterminds behind the budget-making should sit together, and prepare our domestic budget in our pays. Then we will consider them successful, says an officer, seeking anonymity. 520 IDP patients treated at PU relief camp The Punjab University (PU) doctors gave medical treatment to 520 patients at its camp established at Shah Mansoor, Swabi on Monday. The mobile unit of the PU relief camp visited the area of Jhangira and treated 185 patients. Till date, the PU team has provided medical treatment to 6,628 patients.