LAHORE: Punjab budget for the next fiscal year 2021-22 will be being presented in the provincial assembly in Lahore today on Monday.
The 33rd session of the 17th Punjab Assembly is scheduled to be held at the newly-built assembly chamber at 2PM. Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is expected to chair the budget session while Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht will present the budget.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has summoned a special session of his cabinet ahead of the budget. The meeting of the Punjab cabinet will approve budget proposals for the upcoming fiscal year and will also approve the revised budget estimates. Provincial ministers, advisers, special assistants, chief secretary and provincial secretaries will attend the session.
The Punjab government is expected to present a budget of about Rs2,600 billion for the fiscal year 2021-22. The development sector is expected to receive Rs560 billion this year, while the provincial government has recommended earmarking around Rs250 for ongoing projects,
The budget for education and health is expected to increase by 1.5 percent, while a sum of Rs60 billion had been recommended for the Sehat Card health insurance initiative.
The province is expected to set aside Rs60 billion for road infrastructure, Rs30 billion under PSDP and a package worth Rs50 billion has been recommended to for Covid affected business sectors.
According to a spokesman for the Punjab Finance Department, a special package for industries and a number of public welfare schemes will be announced in the budget. He said provision of Health Sahulat Cards will be ensured to 100 percent of the population by December this year.
He said that Rs424 billion will be earmarked for education, Rs 10 billion for Punjab Rozgar Programme, and Rs 3 billion for Hunarmand Jawan Program will be allocated in the budget
The spokesman further informed that Rs 22 billion would be allocated for water supply and sanitation while Rs 9 billion will be earmarked for Green Punjab project.
According to a spokesman of Punjab Finance Department, a special package for industries and a number of public welfare projects will be announced in the budget. He said provision of health Sahulat Cards will be ensured to 100 percent population of the province by December this year.
