LAHORE: Punjab Cabinet in its 30th meeting, held with Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar in the chair, here on Monday accorded approval to the Punjab budget proposals for the financial year 2020-21 with consensus. It also approved finance bill 2020 along with supplementary budget and revised estimates for 2019-20.
Ban on transferring Southern Punjab's development funds to some other project or city will remain intact as per cabinet decision. The CM congratulated Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, Advisor Dr Salman Shah, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, Secretary Finance and others for their role in budget making.
"Steps have been proposed for public relief despite difficult circumstances resulting due to coronavirus pandemic and in this backdrop, it is very balanced and a public-friendly budget," the CM added.
The CM maintained that realistic targets had been fixed and priorities had been identified according to public needs. It was a realistic document for balanced development and not jugglery of worlds, he said.
The CM assured that continuous liaison would be maintained with the assembly members. Ministers, advisors, special assistants, CS and administrative secretaries attended the meeting.
He said that as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, steps had been proposed in the budget to provide relief to the common man.
The meeting also endorsed decisions made in 29th cabinet meeting along with the approval of decisions taken in the 32nd, 33rd and 34th meetings of cabinet standing committee on financial development. Similarly, decisions taken in the 23rd, 24th and 25th meetings of cabinet standing committee for legislative business were also approved. Secretary Finance apprised the participants about salient features of provincial budget and annual development programme.
Moreover, while addressing the members of provincial parliamentary party of PTI said that 2020 was an unusual year when coronavirus had affected the country and the Punjab government had to take emergency steps to deal with the pandemic.
As many as 54,138 people had been affected in Punjab while around 17 thousand patients had been recovered, he said, adding 356,000 people had been tested in Punjab and the testing capability had reached to 12,000. Meanwhile, Rs 25 billion has been paid for dealing with coronavirus pandemic.
During this month, 1,000 high dependency beds would be provided to Punjab government by NDMA and more beds would also be given next month, he added.
The chief minister said SOPs would be got strictly implemented and more affected areas would be sealed to overcome the spread of coronavirus. On the other side, the chief minister informed the participants that funds had been provided immediately to save crops from locust attack and crops had not been much damaged due to the timely governmental steps. There was a threat of another locust attack in coming days and line departments had been directed to take prior steps, he said.
He said the government was promoting ease of doing business and the provincial economy would prosper due to the steps proposed in the budget. He said that record wheat procurement had been made in Punjab after 10 years and the government had ensured food security.
The meeting was briefed about budget and ADP details along with anti-coronavirus, anti-locust and wheat procurement arrangements.
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