NA okays 69 demands for grants worth Rs 1.65 trillion

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Tuesday approved 69 demands for grants worth Rs 1.65 trillion without any cut motions following a voice vote, after their presentation by Minister for Finance and Revenue Muhammad Aurangzeb.

These approved grants cover a wide range of divisions and sectors including the Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Division, Communications Division along with its miscellaneous expenditures, Pakistan Post Office Department, Defense Production Division, Economic Affairs Division, Federal Education and Professional Training Division, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).

Additionally, funding was approved for the National Rahmatul-Lil-Aalameen Wa Khatamun Nabiyyin Authority, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), National Heritage and Culture Division, Foreign Affairs Division and Foreign Missions, Housing and Works Division, Industries and Production Division, and the Information and Broadcasting Division including its miscellaneous expenditures.

The grants also cover the Information Technology and Telecommunication Division, Inter-Provincial Coordination Division, Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, and States and Frontier Regions Division, Law and Justice Division, Federal Judicial Academy, Federal Shariat Court, Council of Islamic Ideology, National Accountability Bureau, District Judiciary, Islamabad Capital Territory, Maritime Affairs Division, National Assembly, The Senate, and the National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division.

Further approvals were granted for the Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Division, Parliamentary Affairs Division, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Division, Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal, Privatization Division, Railways Division, Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony Division, Science and Technology Division, and Water Resources Division.

The National Assembly also sanctioned development expenditures across various divisions including Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, Communications, Defense Production, Federal Education and Professional Training, Higher Education Commission, National Vocational and Technical Training Commission, National Heritage and Culture, Information and Broadcasting, Information Technology and Telecommunication, Inter-Provincial Coordination, Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions, Law and Justice, and National Health Services.

In addition, development expenditures were approved for the Regulations and Coordination Division, Parliamentary Affairs Division, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Division, Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony Division, Science and Technology Division, and Water Resources Division.

External development loans and advances were sanctioned for the Communications Division, Water Resources Division, and capital outlays on civil works, industrial development, maritime affairs, railways, national security division, intelligence bureau division, and the development of atomic energy