FAP terms Punjab budget 'balanced'

Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) has termed the Punjab budget for 2011-12 as reasonably balanced but directed more towards urban areas rather than focusing on rural development. Chief Co-ordinator FAP Dr Muhammad Tariq Bucha while talking to Business Recorder, however, regretted that the agriculture sector was not given sufficient budget.
He said that the agriculture has only been allocated Rs 3.4 billion, while livestock sector, which has registered highest growth of 4.1 percent is given Rs 2.5 billion only.
However, he commended that there were some good steps too like extending loans of Rs 20,000 to people of urban areas to start any business. He said it is also an appreciable step to give land on lease to growers. However, he said that these growers should also be given loan like of Rs 20,000 in urban areas, to buy agricultural inputs and plough the lands allotted to them. It would leave the province to food self-reliance, he said.
He said allocation of Rs 30 billion for Southern Punjab out of the total Rs 220 billion development budget is also appreciable as infrastructure in these areas had suffered a lot during the flood of last year. He also welcomed the setting up of 'Power Board' and 'Provincial Revenue Authority.' He said that the power board would help meeting the shortage in energy sector, while the Revenue Authority would help improving the procedures to recover Agriculture Income Tax. He hoped that this would increase revenue from 40 to 50 percent for the province in this sector. He said this Authority would also end the hegemony of 'Patwari' system in the rural areas.
Dr Bucha said it was good that Rs 10 billion had been allocated for water for agriculture purposes and Rs 11 billion for irrigation sector. He said if these funds were used properly then it would bring a very positive impact on agricultural sector. However, he suggested that the provincial government should include stakeholders in this sector.
He also welcomed levying of tax on farmhouses. He said that the provincial government had once again allocated money for Ramzan package and 'Sastay Bazars' but instead of these government should first identify the deserving people and go for targeted subsidies, he suggested.
Agri Forum Pakistan Chairman Muhammad Ibrahim Mughal alleged that the proposed budget 2011-12 of the province was the biggest ever non-developmental budget. He said that never in the history of province Rs 435 billion were allocated under the head of non-developmental expenses. He questioned that how begging bowl could be broken with a budget having 67 percent non-developmental and 33 per cent developmental expenses. He said that the government should immediately bring down non-developmental expenses to Rs 350 billion and developmental budget to Rs 300 billion. He also termed the allocations for agriculture and livestock sectors as insufficient.
Deputy Secretary General Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) Akhtar Farooque Mayo also criticised the Punjab government for not making sufficient allocations for the agriculture and livestock sectors. He said that agriculture is the backbone of not only federal but also of provincial economy and it should be given its due share in the development budget.