The opposition’s objection on budget that different departments have under-utilised the budget allocated to them is unjustified, said Punjab Minister for Finance Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha while concluding the debate on Annual Budget 2015-16 in Punjab Assembly on Friday.
Pasha said that in fact Rs 11.13 billion of different departments have been transferred to district governments which have not been included in development budget. She further said that it is not correct to describe the budget as a document prepared by bureaucracy.
“It is a fact that officers of Finance and Planning departments worked hard day and night but the present budget is reflective of the vision of leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and public aspirations,” she said, adding that members were consulted in pre-budget session while opinions of people of different walks of life were sought as well.
Dr. Ayesha said that local bodies have also been referred to in the house a number of times. A total of Rs 269 billion have been allocated for district governments, Tehsil municipal administrations and cantonment boards for FY 16-16.
Moreover, an amount of Rs 12 billion has been allocated separately for development schemes of local governments while constitution of Provincial Financial Commission and awards are also among our priorities.
The finance minister said that more than 81 percent funds have been spent under the head of development budget till May 31 during current financial year while 77.54 percent development budget was spent till May 31 during financial year 2013-14 which had become 92 percent by June 2014.
“Keeping in view this trend, it is clear that more than 90 percent of development budget will be spent till June 2015,” she elaborated.
She further said that Agriculture department has utilised up to 93 percent funds, Education (Schools) 93.37 percent, Higher Education 87 percent, Special Education 100 percent and Literacy department has utilised funds up to 92 percent.
Pasha said that outdoor of Wazirabad Institute of Cardiology has been made operational since December 2014 while necessary vacancies have also been approved for emergency and running of inpatient ward and process of recruitment for the vacancies is continuing.
She said, “The process of purchase and installation of necessary machinery has been completed while the revised PC-I of Surgical Tour of Mayo Hospital has been approved and funds of Rs 300 million have been allocated in the present budget for its completion.”
She said that the basic reason in delay of the project was presence of faults which have been removed.
“We are proud that all our projects are transparent and free of corruption,” she claimed, adding that the government was not involved in any financial scandal during previous years and was proud of speed and transparency of its projects, she concluded.
