ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that a sum of Rs216 billion has been paid to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Rs73.45 billion to Punjab and Rs6.4 billion to Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) under net hydel profit during the last 10 years.
Responding to questions in the house during question hour, Minister for Water Resources Musadik Malik said the federal government was making payments on account of hydel profits and water usage charges (WUC).
He said that the outstanding balance to be paid as on 31.03.2024 is Rs36 billion to KP, Rs72 billion to Punjab and Rs379 million to AJK.
As the government received payment from the Central Power Purchasing Agency for electricity sales, he added, in the same mechanism, payment has been to the provinces under the net hydel profit formula.
Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan informed the house that collaborations are being considered with some countries including the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to improve Pakistan Railways’ services.
He said that there has also been progress on ML-1 Railway project under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adding the government is working to provide better rail travelling and freight services to the people.
He also told the house that a specialised cancer hospital is under construction in Islamabad and will be fully operational by the end of current fiscal year.
He said that 200-bed hospital is being established at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for indoor admission of the various types of cancer patients.
Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain said the flow of Sikh pilgrims to Kartarpur Corridor has reduced due to the restrictions imposed by India as there is no impediment from Pakistan’s side.
Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination told the National Assembly that a total of 45 new polio cases were reported during the past three years.
In written reply to a question to the House, the ministry said that 16 polio cases in 2024, eight cases in 2023, 20 cases in 2022, and one polio case 2021 were reported in the country.
These numbers reflect the ongoing efforts and challenges in the fight against polio. Despite the progress, it is crucial to maintain and enhance our immunisation and surveillance activities to achieve complete eradication.
The programme allocated $180 million in 2022, $187 million in 2023, and $80 million in 2024 so far, totaling $447 million in expenditures since January 2022.
This funding has been critical in sustaining nationwide immunisation campaigns, operational costs, surveillance, and community engagement initiatives necessary to combat polio.
The programme is currently guided by the third revised PC-1, which spans from January 2022 to December 2026. This comprehensive five-year plan, approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), has a budget of $798 million. Notably, this PC-1 is financed entirely through external sources, with no reliance on Pakistan’s Public Sector Development Program (PSDP).
The funding is secured through the support of Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners and international donors, who contribute a combination of loans and grants to ensure the programme’s financial sustainability.
The ministry further told the house that approximately 402,785 polio workers are engaged by the polio programme across the country for each nationwide polio vaccination campaign, to vaccinate over 45 million under five children.
The ministry said that Pakistan is working jointly with Afghanistan for eradication of poliovirus as both countries constitute one epidemiological block for the sake of poliovirus eradication with constant exchange of viruses circulating on either side.
Responding to a calling attention notice, Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan said that the ministry will ensure market prices and quality of items being sold at tuck shops and restaurants on motorways.
He said that local magistrates of provincial governments have the authority to monitor prices and product quality, adding he admitted that overpricing is occurring at tuck shops and assured action will be taken to ensure products are sold at controlled prices.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024