Opposition legislators speaking in the proposed budget 2015-16 discussion here on Thursday demanded that funds be allocated to them promptly, as their non-availability was hampering development in their constituencies. MPA Murad of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) speaking in the debate dilated that there was no clean water available in his constituency. He said they by collecting funds had established tube well and filtration plants in their constituency.
MPA Dr Najma Akhtar speaking on the proposed budget stated that allocation of Rs 400 billion for development in the province was a remarkable. She pointed that the step would reap positive results in future. A legislator said that special attention had been given to education sector where new colleges were planned to be built in south of Punjab. Another Punjab legislator said that 19 percent increase had been made in the allocation of health sector. She said Punjab government had taken viable steps in the direction.
A legislator said that Rs 70 billion allocation for police would result in drop of crimes in the province.
MPA Nosheen Hamid said that 50 percent of the budget allocated to different departments in the previous fiscal year had not been utilised. She demanded that proper and optimum utilisation of funds need to be carried. Punjab MPA Khurram Shahzad while taking part in the discussion lamented that price of sugar cane had not been yet paid to farmers. MPA Punjab Sheikh Allaudin stated that besides arrest of a certain person, cash was still being taken out of the country.
A legislator said that corruption in technical committees also needs to be checked as fraud was witnessed in allocation of tenders. MPA Ayesha stated that as government was claiming to bring GDP level to eight percent in future past failures in achieving GDP goals also need to be looked. Legislator Zahid Anwar stated that issue of division of irrigational was affecting farmers. He said to improve agriculture this issue needs to be settled.
Legislators in the debate pointed that private hospitals and medical laboratories were fleecing people. Ahsan Riaz Fatiana, Mian Marghoob Ahmed , Muhammad Ali Khokar Chaudhry Asghar Ali and Nighat Sheikh also participated in the discussion. The house was later adjourned by the chair.