The Balochistan budget for the next fiscal year with a total outlay of Rs584.083 billion was presented in the provincial assembly on Friday after the clash between the opposition and the police came to a close.
Balochistan Finance Minister Zahoor Ahmed Buledi presented the budget in the house and said that no new tax has been imposed.
He said that Rs237 billion have been allocated for developmental and more than Rs346 billion for non-developmental expenditures.
Buledi said more than Rs55 billion have been allocated for the betterment of the health sector while over Rs61 billion for the school and education sector. About Rs21 billion have been allocated for the uplift of higher education in the province.
The finance minister said more than Rs20 billion have been allocated for the agriculture sector. Buledi said that the government is presenting a balanced budget for the new fiscal year. It has been suggested to allocate Rs3.6 billion in the new budget to combat the coronavirus pandemic, whereas the province aims to vaccinate all citizens. He said that Rs500 million will be spent on the expansion of the children’s hospital, he added.
The government announced an end to the slip system from all state-administered hospitals across the province, whereas emergency centres are being established alongside roads. An amount of Rs5.5 billion is allocated for the health insurance card programme by the provincial government. More than Rs76 billion have been allocated for the initiation of 2,086 new schemes, announced Buledi.
“Rs200 million are allocated for the construction of two new hostels in Bolan Medical College; more than 200 government schools will be upgraded; Rs112 billion for ongoing development schemes while the budgeted development outlay is Rs189.19 billion for the new fiscal year.”
The government employees will get a salary raise up to 10 percent, announced the finance minister. He said that 5,000 new vacancies will be generated in the new fiscal year. He said that Rs71 billion for education sector, Rs52 billion for law and order, Rs2.2 billion for Balochistan Enterprise Development, Rs2 billion support fund for differently-abled persons, Rs3 billion for Apna House Fund for government employees, Rs500 million for minorities welfare fund,
Rs500 million for women economic empowerment, Rs3 billion for Balochistan pension fund, Rs2 billion for Balochistan Public Endowment Fund, and Rs11 billion have been allocated for upgrading District Headquarters Hospitals.
On the other hand, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, approved the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2021-22, proposing a hike in salaries by 25 per cent for government employees.
According to details, the budget proposals were presented before the provincial cabinet for discussion and after its approval from the forum, KP CM Mahmood Khan also signed it.
The overall outlay for the KP budget is estimated at Rs1.118 trillion with Rs316 billion earmarked for the development portfolio. An amount of Rs250 billion was earmarked for the ‘Bandobasti’ districts of the province.
According to a previous report, an increase of 25 percent in the salaries of the government employees from grade 1 to 19 has been proposed in the KP budget, while 10 pc raise has been proposed for the government employees of above grade 19.
The minimum wage of workers would be increased to Rs21,000.
The government has allocated funds for Rescue 1122 new ambulances while the government will also announce the recruitment of new teachers in the budget 2021-22.
It is pertinent to mention here that besides the Centre, the Punjab and Sindh provinces have already tabled their budgets before the respective assemblies.
