Punjab govt to focus common man budget: Shahbaz

Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif has said that progress and prosperity of the masses is the top priority of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) led provincial government and all sources are being utilized to give relief to common man.
Mian Shahbaz Sharif expressed these views while addressing a meeting held at Chief Minister Secretariat here on Tuesday to fix priorities of Annual Development Programme for the next budget.
Senators belonging to Faisalabad Division, Members of National and Provincial Assembly, Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Chairman Planning & Development, Senior Member Board of Revenue, Provincial Secretaries, Commissioner and District Coordination Officers, police officers and senior officers of other departments attended the meeting. Chairman Planning & Development Javed Aslam informed the meeting about various aspects of development programme of the next provincial budget.
The Chief Minister said that due to masses friendly policies of provincial government living standard of the people has improved and there is a growing realization that instead of wastage on the elites, government funds are being spent on removing deprivations and problems of the masses.
He said that the forthcoming budget will be reflective of the development vision of provincial government and special funds will be allocated for raising the standard of life of the common people.
Shahbaz said that the new budget will reinforce the development programme of Punjab government and better educational, health and employment opportunities will become available to the masses and a new era of progress and development will usher in.
He said that people have a right over development resources and provincial government is pursuing the policy of a balanced utilization of funds in all districts of the province for changing the destiny of the poor masses.
He said that modern facilities have been provided to the masses in education, health, employment, transport, social welfare and other sectors.
The Chief Minister directed that such projects of public welfare be evolved in the budget which could provide maximum relief to the masses.
He also issued instructions for conducting a comprehensive survey regarding the working of dialysis machines provided for the treatment of kidney patients in government hospitals of the province.
Upon complaints regarding water shortage for irrigation and problems faced by the growers, Shahbaz directed that stern action be taken against the elements involved in water theft so as to ensure availability of water at the tail ends.