NWFP Finance Minister Siraj-ul-Haq on Friday informed the provincial assembly that the dream of getting Rs 345 billion outstanding against Wapda on account of hydel power generation was likely to come true soon, and added that the province would not accept anything less than the struck amount.
In his speech winding up the 2005-06 budget debate, he reiterated the province's stand, adding that it would never shift from AGN Qazi Formula and all negotiations with federal government and Wapda regarding the resolution of the dispute would be within the framework of the said formula.
"The dispute would be resolved through an Arbitration Committee constituted especially for this matter," he said.
Regarding National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, he said that opposition's walkout was actually its support for the stand of the provincial government in the matter.
The minister said that they are still looking for evolving consensus among the federating units, and particularly appealed to both President and Prime Minister to make Punjab agree on the formula of distribution of national resources on the basis of poverty. He said that refusal of Punjab could further plunge the small and poor provinces of NWFP and Balochistan into poverty and backwardness.
Elaborating the relief given in the budget he said that all measures have been taken to benefit the poor. The issuance of interest-free loans to low paid government employees of BPS-1 to BPS-V, distribution of free books among students, exemption of 5-marla houses from property tax and recruitment of primary schoolteachers at the union council level would benefit the poor and the downtrodden.
Similarly, he said, the industrial and agriculture policies of the MMA government have also been appreciated by other members of the house. He said that reforms have also been introduced in the health policy and those lady doctors who would work in far-flung hard rural areas would get an extra allowance of Rs 20,000 per month.
He informed the house about formation of 'Wapda Cell' in the Finance Department which, he said, had saved Rs 270 million during the current financial year.
Earlier, Opposition leader Gustasip Khan, Nasreen Khattak (PPP-Sherpao), Mushtaq Ghani (PML-Q) Attiq-ur-Rehman (ANP), Qurban Ali (PPP-Parliamentarian) and Shagufta Naz of MMA assured full support to the government in the struggle for the rights of the province.