Punjab Budget: Rs189 bn separate budget for 11 south Punjab districts

MULTAN: The Punjab Assembly, for the first time in the provincial history, presented a separate budget ledger for 11 south Punjab districts in a session, held on Monday to present the annual budget for financial year 2021-22.

The PA proposed the south Punjab annual development programme worth Rs189.228 billion [Rs189,228 million] for development schemes in health, education, agriculture and other sectors.

The proposed budget is 35pc of the total size of the ADP 2021-22, a budget document available with The News said. The budget proposed Rs15,362 million for south Punjab school education, Rs157 million for special education, Rs1,015 million for literacy and non-formal education, and Rs1,806 for sports and youth affairs.

The proposed budget would be spent on the construction of school buildings for girls, boys schools, additional classrooms in Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan and other cities.

The budget would also spend on court cases and clearance of liabilities. The Punjab budget proposed Rs28,304 million for specialized healthcare medical education, Rs5,886m for primary and secondary healthcare Rs5,664 million for population welfare, Rs4,889 million for water supply and sanitation, Rs349 million for social welfare, Rs46 million for women development, Rs7,361 million for LG&CD, Rs22,520 million for roads, Rs7,901 million for irrigation, Rs1,898 million for energy, Rs7,679 million for public buildings, Rs11,086 million for urban development, Rs11,086 million for agriculture Rs1,127 million for forestry, Rs213 million for wildlife, Rs274m for fisheries, Rs1,987 million for livestock & dairy development, Rs4,057 million for industries, Rs4,057 million for commerce & investment, Rs4,057 million for mines & minerals, Rs316 million for tourism, Rs1,205 million for governance & information technology, Rs147 million for labour & HR development, Rs365 million for transport, Rs464 million for emergency service (Rescue-1122), Rs1,488 million for environment & climate change, Rs152 million for information and culture, Rs193 million for archaeology, Rs248 million for Auqaf & religious affairs, Rs875 million for human rights & minorities affairs, Rs14,083 million for planning & development, Rs35,702 million for special programme, initiatives.

Only Rs100 million has been proposed in the budget for the establishment of a cotton sub-station in Rajanpur. Rs140 million for establishment of model farms linked with improved supply chain and value.

Rs10 million proposed for establishment of sub-campus of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture in Khanewal district. Rs70 million proposed for the establishment of fruit research institute in Bahawalpur. Rs60 million proposed for establishment of mango research station in Rahim Yar Khan.

The budget has proposed establishment of 29 govt associate colleges for girls, 13 colleges for boys, home economics colleges in southern Punjab districts including Lodhran, Khanewal, Vehari, Mailsi, Taunsa Sharif, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalnagar, and Rahim Yar Khan. The budget proposed Rs20 million for establishment of Usman Buzdar School of State Science in Bahawalpur. The establishment of two universities proposed in Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh districts.

The budget has proposed the establishment of 11 new cricket stadiums with and without floodlights in Rahim Yar Khan, Kahror Pacca, Vehari, Muzaffargarh, Alipur, Uch Sharif, Fort Abbas, Multan, Dunyapur, Abdul Hakim, Taunsa Sharif.

The southern Punjab tehsils will have six sports complexes including Kehror Pacca, Kabirwala, Khanewal, Kot Chuttah, Layyah, Minchinabad, Bahawalnagar. Besides development, upgradation and renovation of nine playgrounds, playfields in Vehari, Bahawalpur, Yazman, Ahmedpur East, Layyah, Jehania, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Shujabad, construction of multipurpose sports grounds in tehsil Koh-e-Suleman.

The budget has proposed establishment of a prototype gymnasium in Haroonabad, Bahawalnagar, Hasilpur, and a synthetic turf hockey ground in Multan,