LAHORE: Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz Sharif said on Thursday that during the two years tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf led government in Punjab, development budget of the province reduced by 17 percent.
While opening the debate on budget 2020-21 in Punjab Assembly, Hamza Shahbaz said Punjab government failed to complete the Orange Line Project in two years. According to economic experts, he said, more than 10 million people lost their jobs during the two years of PTI government who came in to power with the promise of providing 10 million jobs.
The session started two hours late under the chair of Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.
Hamza said no action was taken on any report whether it is drugs scandal, flour and sugar scandal. He questioned that when National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will open its eyes. He also questioned when the case of Peshawar BRT and Malam Jabba will be opened.
Hamza alleged that NAB was involved in political engineering. NAB and economy cannot go together. He said PML- government had allocated 36 percent budget for the South Punjab.
Hamza said present government had taken the debt of Rs10,000 billion in one and a half year while PML-N government had taken the debt of the same amount in five years.
Opposition leader said it is feared that more than 40 percent crop in the province will be destroyed by the locust attack adding that government had allocated just Rs 7.75 billion for the agriculture. He also criticized government for not increasing the salaries of government employees.
Hamza said that PTI government failed to fulfill any of its promise including construction of fifty thousand houses for the poor and devolution of power at grass root level. He also said that local government act was amended and it was promised that local bodies election would be held soon but government was still unable to give any date of the elections. In the absence of any local government system in the province people were facing difficulties in issuing birth and death certificates as well as solving their problems at local level.
While criticizing the government for not providing health facilities to the people of Punjab in these difficult times, Hamza Shahbaz said price of life saving medicines were increased by 200 percent. He said government had allocated Rs 4 billion for coping with the challenge of Covid-19. He also said price of corona test increased from Rs 9,000 to 11,000. He alleged that government was miserably failed in controlling the spread of coronavirus.
Opposition leader said that if 50,000 tests are conducted on daily basis then it is possible that we can stop the spread of this virus. He also said from the day one government had no strategy of controlling the spread of virus. "If the government understands its importance then situation will be much better," he said. He also said 1,60,000 people were affected with corona. He said government doesn't listen to the advice of doctors that without imposing a strict lock down it is difficult to control the spread of virus.
Hamza Shahbaz said it would be better if Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit to Karachi met with the families of the people who lost their lives in PIA plane crash in Karachi instead of meeting with the members of their allied parties.
While speaking on the point of order, Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat said during the budget speech of Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, opposition created rumpus but the members of treasury benches listen to the speech of the opposition leader with patience.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi said opposition members apologies with him for creating rumpus during budget but it would have been better if they apologies on the floor of the House. He appreciated the treasury benches for listening to the speech of the Hamza Shahbaz with patience.
While responding to the speech of Hamza Shahbaz, Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal severely criticized the opposition leader for leveling corruption allegation against PTI government while establishing Corona Center in Expo Center Lahore. He said opposition leader should provide proofs of the corruption. He criticized PML-N government for burning the record of Lahore Development Authority. The minister said they were involved in murder of innocent people in Model Town.
The PTI government had increased the allocation of health sector by Rs 74 billion as compared to the amount allocated during the tenure of PML-N government. He also said PTI government had recruited doctors in its tenure.
During the speech of Aslam Iqbal, PML-N MPA Azma Bukhari tried to interrupt his speech. Speaker Pervez Elahi gave the ruling that this is against parliamentary ethics adding that she should behave or leave the House. Upon which she walked out from the House as a protest.
PPP MPA Makhdoom Usman said government and opposition should sit together and solve the issues. The government has failed in all areas. He also said economic condition of the country was not good prior Covid-19.
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