Federal Minister for Political Affairs, Engr Amir Muqam has said the federal government will give an additional amount of Rs 9 billion to the NWFP from the NFC award in 2007-08 showing considerable increase over the outgoing fiscal.
Talking to newsmen after addressing a public meeting in Nowshera on Tuesday, the Federal Minister said, Public Sector Development Programme 2007-08 envisages more than 200 developmental new and ongoing projects for the NWFP for which huge amount have been set aside in the federal budget. When asked about opposition's claims that the budget was election-oriented, Muqam said, "It is totally wrong impression."
Amir Muqam who is also Pakistan Muslim League (PML), NWFP President said that opposition was exposed before public due to their negative attitude in the budget session and urged them to avoid politicking on purely judicial matter and competes the government in fields of development.
The minister while spelling out silent features of the budget, said that up-gradation of posts of the low-scale-employees, 15 percent increase in salaries of government employees, 15 to 20 percent increase in pension, raise in wages of unskilled labour from Rs 4000 to Rs 4600 and 25 percent subsidy on electricity for tube-wells for the farmers, opening of 815 medical clinics in union councils of seven cities including Peshawar besides Rs 13 billion subsidies on essential food items have widely been appreciated by the cross section of society.
He said the facilities of establishing 327 filtration plants for provision of clean-drinking water, 50 percent increase in funds for widows and orphans, strengthening of the Prime Minister's National Internship Programme are few steps taken by the government to improve living standard of people. President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, he said, are striving hard to provide every possible relief to people at their doorstep.
The budget is pro-poor, balanced and poverty abolishing, he added. He informed that Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway (M-1) would be completed by September next at cost of Rs 20 billion, which would considerably reduce the distance between the two cities.
President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz are taking keen interest in the Motorway Project and that the government has immediately released an additional grant of Rs four billion this week for its early completion, he added.
"President Musharraf has emerged as hero of Muslim Ummah," Muqam quoting Imam-e-Kaba as saying. He said the nation fully support the policies of President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
He urged the party workers to spread message of the government by informing people about the developmental projects initiated by the present government for the welfare and betterment of poor people. On the occasion, former Naib Nazim Noorul Qamar resigned from the Jummat-e-Islami (JI) and announced of joining the PML. Former minister and veteran leaguer Nisar Muhammad Khan, Mian Yayha Shah Kakakhel, provincial youth wing president Ajmal Wazir also addressed on the ocassion.
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