Rs370billion allocated for health sector as Punjab presents budget 2021-22

LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht on Monday presented the province’s budget for financial year 2021-22 with a Rs196billion allocation for South Punjab and a Rs370billion for health sector.

Addressing the provincial assembly, Hashim Jawan Bakht presented the budget with a total outlay of Rs2653billion. He announced that the PTI government, despite all difficulties, is raising the development budget by 86 percent to Rs560billion.

Jawan Bakht announced that the provincial government has increased the education budget by 13 percent from last year and hasallocated Rs442billion for the sector with a programme which includes establishing seven new universities in the province including  an engineering university in Sialkot city with Rs7billion.

The minister announced that all Punjab government employees will get a 10 percent increase in their salary while pensioners will get a similar increase. He announced a special 25 percent allowance for “financially distressed employees”.

Historic allocation for South Punjab

In what he termed “historic”, the minister announced allocation of Rs196billion for development projects in South Punjab, which amounts to about 34 percent of the province’s Annual Development Programme (ADP).

He added that the funds allocated for South Punjab will not be used anywhere else.

Jawan Bakht announced that during FY 2021-22, the Punjab government will spend over Rs200 billion for the social sector, including health and education sectors, Rs145 billion for infrastructure development, over Rs55 billion for production sectors including agriculture, industry, tourism, wildlife, fisheries, forest, and more than Rs90 billion for special programmes.

He also announced allocation of over Rs28 billion for the mega projects in the province’s capital Lahore, including the establishment of a new 1000-bed modern hospital in the city, a surface water treatment plant, underpasses, and flyover projects.