Two million people to get technical training: Punjab government plans to create four million jobs in four years

With a view to creating more job opportunities and making youth skilful, the Punjab government has planned to create four million jobs in next four years while a comprehensive programme has been evolved to impart technical training to two million people during the same period.
This was stated by Punjab Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman while addressing a post-budget press conference, here Saturday. According to Shuja, a comprehensive programme has been evolved to make Punjab safe, prosperous, educated, economically-strong and agriculturally-developed province in next fiscal year's budget. A target of eight percent provincial economic growth has been fixed for next four years.
Mian Mujtaba said practical steps would be taken in budget 2014-15 to raise agriculture productivity and eradicate unemployment from the province. In next few months, 1,000 MW of electricity would be added to the system. He said Rs 3 billion would be generated next year through tax on luxury houses and vehicles and that money would be used on Aashiyana Housing Scheme.
In order to make Punjab safe, Command and Control Centres are being set up in Lahore and Multan while budgetary allocations have been made for purchasing arms and vehicles for police, he added. Regarding education sector, he said sufficient funds have been allocated for promotion of education sector. About 15,239 schemes have been included to provide basic facilities in schools of 11 districts of the province. In order to impart modern training to police force, 12.43 -percent increase has been made in budgetary allocations under the relevant head, he said, adding: "Rs 50 million have been allocated in budget for meeting immediate requirement of law & order."
Mujtaba said that Yellow Cab Scheme is being introduced with the collaboration of the Bank of Punjab. Under this scheme, loaders will also be provided to unemployed youth of rural areas. To a question, he said the government is taking pragmatic steps to broaden tax base while poor people would not suffer due to imposition of tax on services.
He said, following are important points of the budget:
Elimination of load-shedding is top priority of present government and Punjab government has allocated Rs 31 billion for energy sector in new financial year; Rs 17 billion have been allocated to Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in the next financial year; people and trade institutions will be motivated to use low electricity consuming equipment and for this purpose Rs 2.5 billion have been allocated; the government decided to allocate 36 percent of total development funds of the province to South Punjab in the next budget; projects worth Rs 263 billion have been started in South Punjab and Rs 119 billion have been allocated to these projects during next year; an amount of Rs 5 billion has been allocated for meeting additional needs of law and order and coping with terrorism; the government has allocated an overall amount of Rs 273 billion for education sector at provincial and district level; Rs 48.31 billion are being allocated to development projects relating to education sector; Rs 14.05 billion have been allocated to development budget of Punjab Higher Education; Punjab government has allocated a total of Rs 121.80 billion for health sector at provincial and district level in the next budget; Yellow Cab Scheme had proved to be very popular among people due to which 50,000 more yellow cabs worth Rs 25 billion would be distributed among people enabling families earn their livelihood; a huge amount of Rs 17.11 billion has been allocated to different projects of potable water and drainage of water under public health; the government has allocated Rs 14.97 billion to the promotion of agriculture and welfare of cultivators. The government has decided to provide subsidy of Rs 5 billion to farmers for fertilisers; a sum of Rs 50.8 billion has been allocated to the rehabilitation of irrigation system, development of water resources and maintenance of canals; Rs 39.56 billion have been allocated to communication & works sector; Rs 8.93 billion has been allocated to the uplift of livestock sector; Rawalpindi-Islamabad metro bus project will cost Rs 41.40 billion and would be completed during next financial year; Metro bus project has been announced for Multan which will be completed at a cost of Rs 30 billion; 27.1 kms long metro train project is being launched in provincial metropolis which will be completed in a record period of 27 months with Chinese investment. A programme has been chalked out for imparting technical education to 2 million persons during next four years and Rs 6 billion will be spent on it; Rs 2 billion have been allocated to Punjab Educational Endowment during next financial year; five Daanish Schools would be set up at Mailsi, Lodhran, Jhang, Taunsa and Fort Monroe during next year and Rs 2 billion have been reserved for this purpose; Rs 1.2 billion are being allocated in the next budget to converting IT labs in high and secondary schools on solar energy; Rs 3.5 billion are being allocated for giving 100,000 laptops to talented students on merit; Rs 4 billion are being allocated to issuance of health insurance cards due to which low-income people will get the facility of free treatment in public and private institutions; Rs one billion are being allocated to mobile health unit; Rs 4.14 billion are being allocated to land record computerisation in new financial year. It has been decided to allocate Rs 2 billion to distribution of interest-free loans for providing job opportunities to jobless youth; Rs 2.56 billion have been allocated to the promotion of forests, fisheries and wildlife. The government has allocated a huge sum of Rs 5 billion to the provision of edible items at reasonable rates to low-income people during Ramazan. In order to ensure active role of women in socio-economic sector, a sum of Rs 1.86 billion has been allocated in the budget. A plan has been designed for construction of 20,000 houses for labourers during the next financial year while four new Aashiyana Schemes will be launched and tax evasion would be checked through transparency in tax system and better supervision. Additional revenue of about Rs 15 billion is expected to be generated through these steps.
Moreover, trade representatives of various markets have termed Punjab budget as the best which will bring development and prosperity in the province. They said the Punjab government has fixed its priorities by presenting a balanced budget. They said the Punjab government has taken an important step towards elimination of energy crisis by allocating maximum funds for energy projects. Not only new job opportunities will be created through Punjab budget but the wheel of industry will also move on, they added.