Punjab govt considering various options to utilize corona control fund: Hashim Jawan

LAHORE: Emerson University Multan Bill 2021, Punjab Culture and Heritage Authority Bill 2021 and Ravi Urban Development Authority Amendment Bill 2021 were also presented during the Punjab Assembly session, on Friday.

Panel of Chairman Mian Shafee referred all these bills to the committees concerned and sought a report within 60 days.

The current session of Punjab Assembly started two hours behind its scheduled time with Panel of Chairman Mian Shafee in the chair.

Addressing the session, Punjab Minister for Finance Hashim Jawan Bakht said that funds of more than one billion rupees, collected under Corona Control Fund by the Punjab government, were not spent on Covid-19 patients due to non availability of any policy.

The minister said that above rupees 1.16 billion had been collected in Corona Control Fund, adding that one day salary of government employees from BS 1 to 16 was deducted and deposited into corona control fund, while two day and three day salary of government officers from BS 17 to 19 and above BS 20 respectively was also deposited to corona control fund.

Hashim Jawan Bakht said the Punjab government had set up corona control fund and it was considering various options to spend this fund as it was also under consideration to purchase coronavirus vaccine through this amount.

He said that coronavirus vaccine would be applied to those workers working during coronavirus pandemic.

To a question, the minister said the government had not apply any new taxes on flour as the price of flour was increased due to supply and demand fluctuations.

During question answer session, minority member Ramesh Singh condemned the Indian brutalities on Indian farmers and also demanded that a resolution against such Indian atrocities should be passed from this house.

Earlier, PML-N members demanded the government to form a parliamentary committee for holding talks with the students pertaining to their issues.

Addressing during the session, MPA Rana Mashhood said that students were protesting for their rights so that their issues should be resolved, adding that the students were only demanding that if the classes were held online then the examination should also be conducted through online.

Later, the Panel of Chairman adjourned the session till February 1 (Monday) at 2:00 pm.