A balanced and development budget has been presented by Punjab Minister for Finance Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman.
The total estimates of running expenditures for the financial year 2013-14 is Rs.607 billion 56 crore 93 lakh while development expenditure is Rs.290 billion.
The total estimate of fund for local government under PFC Award is Rs.239 billion, for Public Order & Safety, Rs.93 billion 71 crore, for General Administration Rs.101 billion six crore, for education at provincial and district levels Rs.210 billion, Rs.82 billion for health sector at provincial and district levels, Rs.13 billion for agriculture at provincial level and a subsidy of Rs.36 billion for the people have been proposed.
A sum of Rs.90 billion 79 crore has been earmarked for social sector under development budget for the year 2013-14, Rs.90 billion 71 crore for infrastructure, Rs.11 billion nine crore for production sector, Rs.24 billion 84 crore for special programmes and Rs.50 billion for other development priorities.
A huge sum of Rs.20 billion 43 crore has been earmarked for various projects in energy sector in the development budget for the year 2013-14.
There is a budgetary proposal for allocating Rs.93 billion for various projects of south Punjab in the development programme for the new fiscal year which is 32% of the total budget. The ratio of population of south Punjab is 31% of the total population of Punjab.
A sum of Rs.1 billion has been proposed for providing laptops to the students. A sum of Rs.7 billion 50 crore for the provision of tube wells to the small farmers to be operated by biogas and solar energy.
A huge sum of Rs.5 billion 50 crore is being allocated for the development of agri sector during financial year 2013-14.
Rs.22 billion 40 crore are being earmarked for development project in irrigation sector.
As per austerity policy 30% reduction has been made in the expenditure of CM Office as compared to the last year. The non-salaried expenditure of other departments will also be reduced by 15%.
A ban has been imposed on the purchase of government vehicles while the furnishing grant of official residences of provincial ministers has been abolished. Similarly discretionary grants of ministers have also been done away with.
A sum of Rs.3 billion has been allocated for continuing self-employment scheme.
Internship programme will also be continued during the next financial year and a sum of Rs.1 billion 50 crore has been proposed for this purpose. 50% representation will be given to women under this programme.
In order to provide atta to the common man at a reasonable rate Rs.28 billion will be allocated.
For the purpose of provision of food items to the masses during Ramazan at concessionary rates Rs.5 billion have been allocated.
A sum of Rs.3 billion will be given as subsidy during the next financial year for providing best transport facilities to the masses.
A huge sum of Rs.4 billion is being allocated in the budget for health insurance card scheme.
Rs.3 billion has been allocated in the new budget for Aashiyana housing scheme.
A sum of Rs.3 billion has been allocated for setting up of six new Daanish schools during next financial year.
A further sum of Rs.2 billion has been allocated for Punjab Educational Endowment Fund in the next financial year.
Under Chief Minister Education Sector Reform Roadmap, Rs.1 billion for schools councils, Rs.1 billion 50 crore for scholarships to female students have been proposed. For provision of free text books Rs.3 billion 30 crore to all girls schools in the province and for provision of missing facilities Rs.3 billion 50 crore have been allocated.
For promotion of education by Punjab Education Foundation Rs.7 billion 50 crore has been earmarked.
A sum of Rs.6 billion 67 crore has been proposed for development projects of higher education.
A sum of Rs.1 billion has been proposed for next financial year under Chief Minister Ujala Programme.
A sum of Rs. 10 billion 87 crore has been earmarked for water filtration plants specially for rural areas.
For provision of modern medical facilities in hospitals, a sum of Rs.17 billion has been earmarked in the financial budget 2013-14.
A sum of Rs.1 billion 48 crore has been earmarked for public health in southern Punjab.
For provision of medical facilities to the new-born, a sum of Rs.2 billion would be allocated for initiation of a programme “Integrated Reproductive Maternal New Born and Child Heal and Nutrition Programme”.
A sum of Rs.29 billion 22 crore has been proposed for expansion and repair of roads.
A sum of Rs.3 billion is being allocated for setting up economic zone/industrial cities alongside motorway.
A sum of Rs.10 billion has been earmarked to bring Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala at par with provincial metropolis.
A sum of Rs.1 billion, 71 crore are being allocated for provision of infrastructure for judiciary while an additional amount of Rs.1 billion has been earmarked for the welfare of women.
For construction of 2000 flats in Gujranwala, Kasur, Multan and Warburton an amount of Rs.6 billion 50 crore has been allocated.
Monthly wages of laborers have been increased to Rs. ten thousand in the next financial budget.
