Legislators in the Punjab Assembly while taking part in the debate on Punjab Budget 2007-08 have suggested the federal government to develop consensus amongst the provinces for the construction of Kalabagh dam so as to overcome the existing energy crisis and shortage of irrigation water.
They also called upon the provincial government to pay attention to the construction of small dams to protect the energy and agriculture sectors from crisis. The ongoing load shedding and cut in agriculture production would further create problems for the government as well as public if the government did not start construction of small water reservoirs on priority basis.
Taking part in the debate on budget, treasury members described the Punjab Budget 2007-08 as people-friendly and ideal one while the Opposition members strongly criticised it.
The Opposition members were of the view that size of loans of the Punjab government has alarmingly increased. They said that despite spending Rs 34 billion on police, fruitful results could not be achieved with regard to maintenance of law & order in the province. They were of the view that there was no change in the police system.
Uzma Zahid, in her speech, said that on one hand, around Rs 2 billion was spent on aircraft purchase for the governor and the chief minister while on the other, no funds have been allocated for the Multan Cardiac Center.
Jalaluddin Dhakku of treasury benches while taking part in budget debate said that despite huge allocations for agriculture sector, production targets could not be achieved mainly due to non-availability of water for irrigation. The government was giving subsidy on agriculture products, but for the survival of agriculture sector the construction of Kalabagh dam is inevitable, he said, adding if there are some hurdles in the construction of this dam, the government should immediately start the construction of small dams in the province.
He asked the government that the agriculture field officers should be directed to guide the farmers for boosting their production. He also urged the government to direct the district Nazims to conduct surprise visits to rural and basic health units to ensure presence of doctors there.
Another treasury member, Ms Safdar Shakar, called for immediately starting the construction of Kalabagh dam to bring industrial and agriculture revolution in the province.
Appreciating the Punjab budgetary proposals for 2007-08, she said that due to government's revolutionary measures the economy has been strengthened. The previous rulers after plundering the national exchequer were leading luxurious life abroad. She was of the view that the government was paying attention to bring positive change in the lives of poor.
Another treasury member, Allauddin Sheikh, while taking part in the debate appreciated the budgetary allocations for different sectors. He, however, said the government should focus more on the betterment of the agriculture sector. He said that subsidy should be given to formers on diesel and electricity to enable them to run their tube-wells.
He demanded of the government to stop privatisation process of some units in the interest of general masses. Due to privatisation process, the prices of sugar, cement and fertiliser shoot up which cause problems for government as well as general masses, he added.
In order to check the rising prices of flour, he asked the government to impose ban on the export of wheat. After a bumper wheat crop, the traders exported 500,000 tonnes of wheat, which resulted in increase in flour prices.
The outspoken legislator of ruling party also demanded that a Vigilant Wing should be established in the planning and development department to check the process of development activities in the province.
Taking part in the debate, Haji Ejaz Ahmad of PPPP expressed concern over energy crisis in the country and said that construction of big and small water reservoirs was the only way to put the country on the path of development and prosperity. He said that people were leading a miserable life due to ineptness of the government, which failed to prepare any policy for the energy sector.
Criticising the performance of police, he said that instead of increasing the budgetary allocation for police the government should pay attention for proper training of police personnel to check the crime graph.
Another legislator, Parveen Masood Bhatti, in her speech, emphasised the need for the construction of small dams in the province. She was of the view that despite energy crisis in the country only 11 percent of the total budget has been allocated for the construction of small dams in the province. She demanded that a small dam should be constructed in Cholistan on priority basis.
Brigadier Muhammad Hassan (retd) of PPPP, while criticising the government's education policy, said that literacy rate declined in the province, as no proper facilities have been given to teachers and students in the government schools.
He alleged that when the appointments of peons in schools would be made on the recommendations of ministers, how the government could claim merit on other posts. He demanded that funds should be allocated for the establishment of university in his constituency and up-gradation of primary schools up to middle level.
Javid Hassan Gujjar of PML-N, in his speech, suggested that at least 12.5 acres agriculture land should be leased out to graduates in the field of agriculture for the production of new seeds of profitable crops and vegetable. Before partition, Balochistan was a big producer of seed but after the creation of Pakistan no attention was given in this regard, he said.
He urged the government to launch a campaign for increasing the production of vegetable and pulses. Treasury member Saadia Humayun demanded the provision of clean drinking water for the residents of Shahdara Town. Another Treasury member Nighat Saeed Khan said that clean drinking water was not available in the entire province.
Earlier, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Afzal Sahi referred two privilege motions of Treasury members Jalal-ud-din and Abdur Razaque Niazi pertaining to police highhandedness to the Privilege Committee of the House for report. Later, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings of the House.
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