ISLAMABAD - Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul Wednesday said that 200 bed Cardiology hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan Khan would be completed in two years at the cost of Rs 4.28 billion.

Participating in the budget debate in the National Assembly, she said that Rs 3 billion would be spent in the first phase for the construction of eight medical departments and other facilities over an area of 44 kanals in two years.       

“However a 100-bed facility will be made functional in the second phase,” she added.  She said such a modern medical facility, which will benefit patients from all the four provinces, should have been established years ago as it would also help to lessen the burden on the hospitals in Lahore and Multan. “It is the gift of the PTI government for south Punjab. Public welfare projects will be completed on priority basis with the provision of other necessary facilities,” she said.

She also thanked Murad Saeed and Asad Omar for allocating Rs 52 billion for the construction of roads in Dera Ghazi Khan. “I am thankful to the ministers for allocating funds for improvement of Indus highway as it was the long standing demand of the local people, ” she added.

The minister said that funds of billions of rupees had been allocated for laying the transmission line in DG Khan to improve the electricity voltage in the area.

She said that the present government had allocated huge funds for the construction of water reservoirs.

Talking about her ministry, she said the government had initiated remarkable programmes including go green Pakistan, plantation of trees, ban on plastic bags, renewable energy resources and e-cars to combat with the environmental issue and reduce carbon emissions.

She further said that an awareness campaign was also launched against the use of polythene bags across the country to control their increased use in the country.  The minister said that keeping in view the challenges posed nationally, regionally and globally by climate change, the government had taken several steps like ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ and the country-wide ‘Billion Tree Tsunami initiative’.

The minister said that her ministry had provided jobs to about 89,000 poor people and daily wagers to plant trees during coronavirus outbreak.

She said the PTI government was determined to increase the forest cover in the country. She also said that about Rs 6 billion had been allocated for the climate change ministry in the current budget.

The minister said that the government had distributed Rs 180 billion among poor people under Ehsaas Emergency Cash program. Rs 805 billion had been allocated for Ehsaas Emergency Cash program, she added. She said that the government had clear policy on the coronavirus.  The minister said that outbreak of coronavirus had badly affected the economy of the world including Pakistan. 

The minister said that PPP and PML-N government had pushed the country towards debt.

Participating in the budget debate, Moulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali asked the government to make increase of 10 percent to 15 percent in salaries of the government employees. He said that teachers of madaris (seminaries) and students should be facilitated in the present difficult times.

He asked the government to take care of the Pakistan Steels Mill employees and restore their services. He also asked the government to end interest based system in the country. 

He urged the government to take action against elements involved in creating shortage of petroleum products. He thanked the government for including  mega development projects for Chitral in the budget.  The lawmaker asked the government to initiate work on the development projects announced during the last budget.

Pakistan Tehreek -e-Insaf MNA Fazal Muhammad Khan said that the government had announced pro people and business friendly budget. He said that PTI chairman always took along the members of his party on all important issues. He asked the government to lay transmission line for district Charsadda.  Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) MNA Rana Sanaullah Khan criticized the budget and said that nothing had been announced for the poor people. He alleged that PTI government had badly damaged the country’s economy and failed to fulfill all the promises made with the people during election campaign.

He observed that sugar mafia had looted Rs 100 billion to 150 billion and  no action had been taken against them by the government. He said that the government had failed to take action against mafias operating in the country. He asked the government to reduce the price of sugar and pass on benefit to the masses.

The PML-N leader said that no funds had been allocated for the construction of houses announced by PTI during election campaign.

He alleged that unemployment was on the rise due to failed economic policies of the government.

 Rana Sanaullah observed that confused policy of the government on coronavirus had increased the number of patients.

He said that the government had failed to collect the targeted tax revenue.

 Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) had ended loadshedding and terrorism from the country, he added.

He said that the PTI government had slowed down work on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).