The Punjab government is spending Rs 850 billion on service delivery to citizens that is 12.9 percent higher than the budget allocation of Rs 753 billion in FY 2014-15. It has also increased allocation for annual development programme from Rs 400 billion to Rs 550 billion 37 percent more than the outgoing year.
Official sources told Business Recorder that bulk of the service delivery funds go to health and education sectors. Health sector gets Rs 149 billion while education sector pockets Rs 312 billion that is 2 percent of the GRP of Punjab.
They said the government is determined to provide quality educational services in the province.
The government vision for education sector includes:
1. One hundred percent enrolment of schoolgoing age children, retention of all enrolled students from age 5 to 16, attaining gender parity, improvement in education standards, international standard infrastructure in schools, merit based recruitment of teachers, incentives for good performance, overcrowding in schools, provision of free education to 14,67,461 students under foundation assisted programme, provision of free education to 3,10,918 students under education voucher scheme and provision of free education to 1,50,000 students under new school programme.
They said under the service delivery programme, the government has set aside Rs 400 billion for payment of pension, debt servicing and generation administration, Public order safety affairs, rescue and emergency services, prison management and administration.