Elahi criticises Punjab budget

Pakistan Muslim League-Q senior central leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Ch Parvez Elahi has said that the poor people and their children will still remain without medicines, education and employment even after 8th provincial budget presented by the PML-N government.
He was commenting on the Punjab Budget 2015-16 at a press conference here on Sunday. Party's provincial General Secretary Ch Zaheeruddin Khan, Mian Imran Masood, Aamir Sultan Cheema and other party leaders were present on this occasion.
He said Shahbaz Sharif led Punjab government has miserably failed to improve economic lot of the people, end load shedding, provide jobs and increase agriculture commodities production. "It is an ample proof of Shahbaz Sharif's failure that he is seeking donations from the people even for rescuing Rescue 1122, all grand projects of his (Pervez Elahi) tenure including 1122 and Traffic Wardens are being destroyed," he added.
He said the government would destroy agriculture sector by levying new tax on farmers, there is no subsidy for formers whereas subsidy of Rs 2 billion per month is being given to jangla (Metro) bus in Lahore and Rawalpindi. All housing projects and Ashiana Scheme have also flopped like other schemes.
Elahi said in the provincial budget 2015-16, ten new taxes have been levied notwithstanding the fact that load shedding, poverty, dearness and unemployment have increased. The budget has disappointed farmers, workers, government employees and other segments of society.
He said Shahbaz Sharif has turned a Rs 100 billion surplus province into a deficit one. The government is now paying Rs 100 billion annually as interest on loans.
Analysing the budget at length and highlighting the failures of the govt, he said that in 2014-15 revenue receipts target was Rs 95 billion against which only Rs 46 billion were realised, now revenue receipts target has been reduced to Rs 72 billion as compared to last year whereas tax has been imposed on hair cutting, women's make up and photography.
Only 50 per cent of development budget has been utilised during 2014-15 financial year and funds allocated for backward districts have been spent in Lahore, he added.
Government employees' salaries have been increased by just 7.5 per cent whereas pre-budget increase in prices of oil and electricity have already put additional financial burden on the people. He further pinpointed that the Punjab government has allocated only Rs 34 billion for energy projects which indicates the government is not serious in ending the load shedding.
Continuing Ch Parvez Elahi said that the govt's internal and external loans have increased up to Rs 458 billion. The government has allocated Rs 119.88 billion for payment of interest on these loans.
In the new budget Rs 72billion have been allocated for Multan jangla bus, yellow cab, laptop and orange line show off projects. He said the govt has shown per kilometre cost of Rawalpindi jangla bus as Rs two billion, whereas it was Rs 240 million in Ahmedabad, India and Rs 480 million per kilometre in Beijing, China in 2013.
In order to hide embezzlement of billions of rupees Rawalpindi-Islamabad jangla bus was not mentioned in 2014-15 budgets, on which Transparency International is also silent. He said Rs 2 billion have been allocated for Balochistan Cardiology Hospital but not a single penny has been provided for Wazirabad Cardiology Centre though about 4000 people have died due to non-functioning of this hospital. Similarly Rs 2 billion budgets were utilised on Danish Schools but the budgeted Rs 28.50 billions have not been released for the govt schools which either do not have buildings or boundary walls or have not staff.
He said without any project in the budget for creating employment opportunities claim to provide employment to one million persons by 2018 looks ridiculous. He said Pakistani farmer is not getting reasonable price for his wheat, rice and cotton crop whereas due to import of potatoes, tomatoes and onion from India the farmers of Punjab were suffering huge financial losses. The govt is not providing any subsidy to the farmers on electricity, seed and fertilizer which would resultantly destroy agriculture of the province.