Punjab govt presented ideal budget despite financial constraints: Buzdar

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Thursday said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has presented an ideal budget despite financial constraints.

Addressing the assembly members after the approval of provincial budget 2018-19, the CM lauded his team for presenting the budget and following parliamentary norms to get it approved from assembly.

“This is the first and so far the only budget in the provincial history which manifests the true economic situation and allocations have only been made on merit,” said Buzdar.

The CM announced that cabinet meetings will now be started from Southern Punjab and added the goal of good governance will be achieved according to the PTI manifesto.

He said that projects will be completed in consultation with the assembly members and also announced to give two months basic salary to Punjab Assembly staff as honorarium.

The assembly members raised slogans in praise of Imran Khan and Usman Buzdar and speaker Punjab Assembly Ch. Pervaiz Elahi also paid tributes to Usman Buzdar and expressed full confidence on his leadership.

On October 16, Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht presented an over Rs2.026trillion budget for remaining eight months of fiscal year 2018-19.

The finance minister informed the house that the total budget outlay is Rs2,026.51 billion with Rs148billion as surplus.

The assembly today adopted 43 motions aimed at slashing the annual provincial budget for fiscal 2018-19 with majority consensus.