LAHORE - Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar chaired a cabinet meeting at 90-SQA on Monday to approve budgetary proposals for the financial year 2021-22.
The finance secretary briefed the meeting about the budget details while the Planning and Development (P&D) chairman apprised the participants about salient features of the Annual Development Programme (ADP). The cabinet also approved the supplementary budget of 2020-21 along with the approval of revised estimates of the current budget 2020-21.
Finance Bill 2021 was also approved by the meeting, and the cabinet approved a 10 per cent increase in salaries and pensions of provincial government employees. The CM and the cabinet, however, unanimously rejected the proposal of the Board of Revenue to enhance the agriculture tax.
Addressing the meeting, the CM emphasised that the peasants would not be burdened, adding that the farming community would be made more prosperous by the PTI government. He appreciated that the cabinet had enhanced the minimum wage of workers from Rs17,500 to Rs20,000. He congratulated the finance minister, Advisor Dr Salman Shah, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, secretary finance and others for the balanced budget.
“A record increase has been made in the development budget for the first time,” he said, adding that a separate development package had been devised for every district. “Realistic targets have been identified to facilitate the common man. Priorities have been identified according to the basic needs of the people.
This budget is not a jugglery of words, but a document of balanced development,” the CM stated. “A continuous liaison will be maintained with parliamentarians during the budget session,” he added.
The CM said that the inefficient opposition was only making hue and cry at every occasion and advised it to avoid criticising good works done by the government. The meeting endorsed the decisions of the 57th and 58th meetings of the cabinet standing committee for finance and development along with the decisions made in the 60th, 61th and 62nd meetings of the cabinet standing committee for legislation. Ministers, advisors, special assistants, chief secretary and secretaries attended the meeting.
PERVAIZ ELAHI CALLS ON CM IN ASSEMBLY’S NEW BUILDING
Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi called on Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the new building of the provincial assembly on Monday and appreciated the cooperation extended by the chief minister for completion of the new building.
The CM also felicitated him for holding the maiden budget session in the new building, hoping that the new building would start a new era of parliamentary history of the provincial assembly. “It is a feather in the PTI’s cap,” he maintained, saying that the PTI government provided funds on a priority basis for early completion of the new building. He said that the new budget contained good news for everyone.