LAHORE: Pakistan People's Party Parliamentary leader in Punjab Assembly Syed Hassan Murtaza claimed on Friday that Punjab was given Rs 479 billion less under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award in the budget for the fiscal year 2020-21.

While expressing his views on the Punjab budget 2020-21 on the floor of the House Murtaza severely criticized chief minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar and said that chief minister failed to take the due share of Punjab from the federal government.

He also said that budget prepared under the leadership of the Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht is beyond the understanding of the people.

He said what happened during the speech of the finance minister was not right but the reaction given by industries minister Mian Aslam Iqbal while responding to the speech of opposition leader Hamza Shahbaz yesterday was also not correct.

The PPP strengthened the federation through the 18th Amendment and gave recognition to the provinces but the message given by Prime Minister Imran Khan during his recent visit to Karachi is a threat to federation. The government has the right to bring amendments whenever it wants.

Murtaza said that he asked a question from the government employees did they saw any change. No relief was given to the people from the federal government and Punjab government but the government of PPP in Sindh which according to PTI is corrupt has increased the salaries of the government employees by 10 percent.

He further said that previous government had taken the debt of Rs 693 billion and made metro and hospitals but the PTI government who had taken the debt of Rs 245 billion they should tell where they spent the amount of debt.

He said that education and health sector were paralyzed. He also said if we compare Punjab with other provinces it is number one in bad governance. He said that Punjab government had allocated Rs 59 crore for CM house while Rs 78 crores were allocated for day to day spending.

"Please take back 1992 World Cup from us and returned our old Pakistan", Murtaza said. Senior PML (N) leader Sardar Awais Laghari while expressing his views on the Punjab budget said that we reject the establishment of South Punjab Secreteriat. He termed it as a joke with the people of South Punjab.

Awais said that PML (N) made motorway for the people of South Punjab due to which the journey of eleven hours was reduced to six hours.

Awais questioned that where is the real report of sugar scandal. He said that names of Jahangir Tareen, Khusro Bakhtiar and Sharif family was defamed. He further said that government increased the price of wheat to Rs 1800 per maund after buying the wheat. He also said that government should gave subsidies to the millions of the farmers as they gave subsidy to the sugar mills owners.

Chairman Public Accounts Committee II Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari said that we appreciate the good projects of PML (N) like Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute but province which had a surplus of Rs one and a half billion before the PML (N) government was under the debt of Rs 2500 billion after the completion of the tenure of PML (N).

Earlier, deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly Dost Mazari showed his displeasure over the absence of finance minister and finance secretary and adjourned the session for 15 minutes.