CM chairs parliamentary party meeting

LAHORE: The meeting of provincial parliamentary party was held at 90-Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam on Thursday with Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair.

The provincial ministers, including Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, and other MPAs attended the meeting wherein upcoming budget session strategy was finalized.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said the PTI government would present its maiden formal budget for the province for fiscal year 2019-20 on Friday (tomorrow).

He said the government, despite difficult economic circumstances, would present public-friendly budget that would also depict party manifesto.  The CM said that a huge amount was being allocated for an equal development programme for south Punjab.

The development of the areas ignored in the past was being focused and opinion of elected representatives was being given importance in preparation of the budget.

He instructed the ministers to ensure their presence in the assembly during the budget session and  take an active part.  Austerity was a hallmark of the PTI government and the budget would also depict this policy, he said adding that reforms were being introduced in the health and education sectors.

He said that the Punjab Assembly had taken a lead with record legislation to its credit so far.

Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat said an open debate on budget would start from Monday.  Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht said that budget was prepared with hardwork and non-development expenditures were being curtailed.

Similarly, special steps would be announced for health and agriculture sectors.  He also apprised the meeting about the salient features of the budget.