Category: District

PESHAWAR:A special meeting of the provincial cabinet was held under the chair of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday.

Apart from members of the provincial cabinet, administrative secretaries of all departments and other concerned officials attended the meeting. The participants were given a detailed briefing on various aspects of the budget for the next financial year.

The meeting approved the budget documents for the next financial year to be presented in the Provincial Assembly. CM signed budget documents after cabinet approval.

BAHAWALPR:President of Evyol Group Asif Majeed on Friday visited the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics Islamia University of Bahawalpur(IUB).

He discussed the vital role of research, strategies and different options for cotton revival in Punjab with Engr. Prof Dr Athar Mahboob (IUB) Vice Chancellor, IUB, while Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Bandesha was also present.

Asif Majeed highly appreciated the role of IUB for cotton revival and stressed to expand activities to Rohi / Cholistan areas for promoting cotton cultivation. He took keen Interest in breeding for Okra leaf genotypes that will help for tolerance against whitefly and water deficit conditions.

PESHAWAR:Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan has termed the provincial budget for financial year 2021-22 as a balanced, pro poor and a historic budget and said that this is the largest budget ever in the history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa adding that all the sectors have been fully focused in the budget which on implementation, would bring about a new era of development in the province and visible positive change in the lives of the masses.

He said this was a tax free budget as no new tax had been levied rather historical exemptions were given to different sectors adding that despite difficult financial situation, the provincial government did not compromise on the developmental portfolio, and Rs. 370 billion have been allocated for the developmental projects which is 33% of the total budget. He said that special focus has been given to the ongoing developmental projects of public welfare so as to complete these projects well in time for which 80% of the developmental budget has been allocated.

In a statement issued here regarding the budget for the financial year 2021-22, the chief minister said that all possible efforts had been made to provide maximum relief to the common man in the budget. He added that enhancement of development portfolio, reforms in provincial taxes, increase in the salaries of government employees and pensioners, relief to farmers, honorarium for Aaima-e-Karam, enhancement of education and health sector budget, increase in the monthly wages of daily wagers, subsidy for providing wheat flour on cheaper rates to public, food basket program for deserving people were the some important relief initiatives proposed in the budget. He said that Rs. 20 billion had been allocated for food basket program and wheat flour for subsidy.

Chief Minister said that social sector has been the top most priority of PTI government from the very first day adding that budget of education, health, drinking water and other social sector has been increased manifold in the New Year budget. He termed the Sehat Card Plus Scheme a flagship project of the provincial government and said that various initiatives have been proposed to make it further comprehensive adding that free liver transplant had been included in the scheme whereas free Blood Transfusion is also being covered in the scheme.

Similarly, Mahmood Khan added that under the Sehat Card Plus scheme in merged areas, annual coverage has been increased from Rs. 0.6 million 1.00 million per house hold. He said that despite the difficult financial situation, significant increase has been made in the budget of various sectors adding that as compared to the last financial year, Elementary and Secondary Education budget has been increased by Rs. 24 billion, Health budget by Rs. 22 billion, Police budget increased by Rs. 12 billion, Tourism and Sports sector budget increased by Rs. 11 billion and Local Government budget increased by Rs. 6 billion in the new year budget.

The chief minister congratulated the provincial minister Taimur Saleem Jhagara and his entire team for preparing such a balanced and historic budget.

PESHAWAR:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday presided over a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) parliamentary party in the provincial assembly, which was attended by PTI-affiliated members of the provincial assembly and cabinet members.

The meeting discussed strategies for presenting the budget in a peaceful atmosphere in the provincial assembly and maintaining a conducive atmosphere in the assembly throughout the budget session.

Addressing the participants of the meeting, the Chief Minister said that PTI would do its utmost to maintain a peaceful atmosphere and parliamentary traditions of the province in the budget session and any untoward situation would be avoided.

He urged the members of the provincial assembly and cabinet members to ensure their attendance in the assembly during the budget session, come to the assembly fully prepared with regard to the budget and make the budget session meaningful in all respects.

MULTAN:Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) South Punjab, Saqib Zafar ordered the secretaries and administrative officers to form a work plan for developmental projects and their timely completion.

Chairing a meeting at the Commissioner Multan division office here on Friday, The ACS said that funds earmarked for uplift projects should be utilized for improvement of infrastructure of the region.

He informed that the Punjab Government had allocated a huge amount for development of South Punjab adding that exactly 2,491 uplift schemes were part of the provincial budget for FY 2021-22 for it.

Zafar observed that he would monitor health, education and infrastructure projects himself and added that every penny of public tax money would be spent on its welfare. South Punjab secretariat would work on the development projects with complete financial autonomy after the Punjab budget, the ACS maintained.

Earlier, Commissioner Multan Division, Javed Akhter Mehmood briefed the meeting that 711 development schemes of the division worth Rs over 159 billion were included in the budget adding that shifting of District Jail out of the city was a project of Rs 1500 million.

A recreational park and public library would be built to replace the jail, he noted and added that Rs two billions have been used out of the total eight billion on under construction Nishtar-II project.

CPEIC extension project with Rs three billion would be accomplished during the current year, he explained. Secretary Housing South Punjab, Liaqat Ali Chatha, MDA DG, Agha Muhammad Ali Abbas and others attended the meeting.

PESHAWAR:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cabinet with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in Chair here Friday approved budget proposals for fiscal year 2021-22.

Kamran Bangash, Special Assistant to CM KP for Information and Higher Education told media the KP Government Cabinet has approved budget proposals including Annual Development Program (ADP) 2021-22.

The Chief Minister KP has formally signed budget documents’ copy after the cabinet meeting. He said total outlaw of budget was over Rs 1,100 billion and Rs 317 billion approved for ADP 2021-22. Bangash said there was no new taxes in budget and record allocation made for education, health, higher education, agriculture, communication and others projects.

MASTUNG:Levies Force Mastung on Friday claimed to have apprehended two proclaimed offenders in an operation in Shaireen Aab area of Mastung.

Arms, ammunition and drugs were also recovered from the possession of accused. Following the directions of Deputy Commissioner Mastung Major (Retd) Ilyas Kibzai, a team of levies force, led by Risaldar Major, Shah Muhammad Zehri, Tehsildar, Mastung, Muhammad Akram Haripal and Naib Risaldar, Zaheer Ahmed Muhammad Shae, arrested two proclaimed offenders in an operation in Shaireen Aab area of Mastung.

One Kalashnikov along with magazines and rounds, a shotgun and drugs were also recovered from the possession of accused, said the levies force. The accused, wanted to levies and police, were being interrogated by the authorities.