“The Sindh Budget 2011-12 is not people-friendly. It is only a jugglery of numbers. Citizens need prompt relief as regards their necessities,” said the Opposition Bench in the Sindh Assembly on Friday.
Opposition Leader in House Jam Madad Ali told Pakistan Today after the budget speech that there is a need to cut back the expenses of provincial ministers. “The budget is presented every year with the announcement of an increase in it, but the question is that what impact does that have on the people of the province. People do not need a game of numbers. They need prompt relief, at least in basic necessities,” Ali said.
He said, “I am not saying that every thing in the budget is bad. It’s a good thing that it is tax-free and in surplus. The education and health budget has been increased, but there is a need to implement it.”
Ali said that most of the development budget has been allocated to particular districts as if other districts were not part of the province. All districts should be developed on equal basis, he added. “No development funds are being issued to the areas of our MPAs. Funds should be allocated for MPAs on a priority-basis programme,” he said.
Responding to a question, he said that although the budget in health and education sectors has been increased, it should be ensured that this increase benefits the people of the province.
“Everyone knows that the condition of the education and health sectors in Sindh is deteriorating. There is a need to improve them, especially the education sector,” he added.
The impact of the budget increase should be visible and result-oriented. “However, I am not rejecting the budget completely. I am only saying that it is not people-friendly,” he
