The Provincial Minister for Excise & Taxation, Finance Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman has said that in order to provide civic amenities to every citizen of the country we have to control the rapidly growing population, therefore, a comprehensive awareness campaign will be launched in the province. He said that education and health is priority of the present government so that to provide quality educational and health facilities to every citizen, however, it could be achieved only when our population remain within resources. He said that the budget allocated for education Rs.274 billion which is 26.25 percent of total expenditures whereas the budget allocated for health Rs.121.80 billon which is 11.66 percent of total expenditures of the government. He said that the growth rate of Punjab will be increased to eight percent during next four years and in result of it, more than 70 lakh people will be able to live above the poverty line whereas job opportunities will also be available to 40 lakh people. He said that 36 percent of development budget has been allocated for south Punjab so that maximum development projects will be completed in the less developed districts.
While talking to various delegations at his residence, Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that the government is implementing a 3-tier strategy of sensitizing population planning in the province through proactive advocacy campaigns, enhancement and improvement in the operational efficiency of service delivery outlets and active community participation in the population programmes. He said that government has established 1500 family welfare centers, 110 mobile service units, 118 family health clinics and 1456 social mobilizers for the guidance and service delivery to the people regarding population welfare initiatives. He said that increasing population affects our socio-economic conditions also as 40 million people are living low poverty line, 58 million people have no access to safe & clean drinking water, 59 million people are living in one room house unit, whereas, only 20 percent population have the facility of trained birth attendant. He maintained that increasing population is deeply decreasing our food stocks and now about 70.7 million people are facing lack of food and starvation in the world, whereas, every 6th person in developing country is the victim of lack of food.
Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said that likewise 53 mini hospitals, at Tehsil level are also going to be established to provide vasectomy services. He said that population welfare programmes aim at improving mother and neonatal’s health as well as reducing population growth rate from 1.92% to 1.59 %. Likewise, non-programme outlets including active participation of NGOs, ulema, media-men and other community leaders has been ensured to realize the benefits of small family to the people at large. However, he asked the public representatives and ulema to come forward and to create awareness among general public against the menace of fatal diseases and brief the people regarding proactive measures of critical diseases as well as proactive vaccination of childhood diseases in their Khutbaas and in their individuals communication, he added.
Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman told that the specific objectives of the programmes launched by the provincial and federal government are to reduce the under five mortality rate to target 2015:45/1000, to reduce the newborn mortality rate to less than 40 per thousand live births target 40/1000, to reduce maternal mortality ratio to 140/10000 and to increase the proportion of deliveries attended by the skilled birth attendants at home or in health facilities to 90 percent by 2015.