Following are the salient features Of Punjab budget for fiscal year 2022-23 presented by Provincial Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari in Punjab Assembly session held here at Aiwan-e-Iqbal on Wednesday;
*Record increase of 22 per cent in development budget with an allocation of Rs 685 billion consisting of 40 per cent for social sector, 24 per cent for medical infrastructure, 6 per cent for production sector and 2 per cent for services sector.
*Rs 35 billion had been allocated for improvement of road network while Rs 6 billion had been earmarked for improvement of prisons.
*Contrary to last year allocation of Rs 60 billion for provision of health facilities this time Punjab government has allocated Rs 125 billion 34 crores for health facilities to the poor people.
* Rs 1.5 billion have been allocated for provision of laptops to brilliant and less privileged students.
* Rs 240 billion which is the 35 per cent of the total development budget has been allocated for the development of southern Punjab and there will be no cut in this allocation.
* Rs 272.60 billion had been allocated for social sector and women development while Rs 7 billion had been allocated for WASA.
* Education Sector would be getting 10 per cent increase and for this purpose Rs 485.26 billion were being earmarked.
Under the zewar-e-Taleem programme Rs 5.53 billion have been allocated for distribution of scholarships to more than 600,000 students.
* Rs 1.5 billion had been allocated for the construction of Daanish schools while Rs14 billion 93 crore earmarked for school councils and in order to provide free books in schools Rs 3 billion 20 crore had been allocated.
*Rs 2.5 billion had been allocated for construction of new buildings of schools and repair of wrecked school buildings whereas Rs 21.5 billion had been allocated for Punjab education foundation.
*Free wifi project had been restored and Rs 59.7 billion had been allocated for higher education.
*For construction of 13 new colleges in different districts Rs 2.37 billion had been allocated while Rs 2 billion have been earmarked for additional classroom construction and for provision of furniture in colleges.
*Rs1.5 billion allocated special education while special education department would get Rs 3.59 billion.
* In the health sector development overall Rs 470 billion had been allocated which were 27 per cent more than the previous year and from this amount Rs 174.50 billion had been allocated for development expenditure.
*PKLI to get Rs 5 billion for treatment of cancer, coronary, liver and kidney diseases. Free medicines to cancer patients were also being restored.
* Rs 3.10 billion allocated for government hospitals ongoing missing facilities projects while Rs 2.70 billion had been allocated for new projects.
* In district headquarters hospitals Rs 1 billion had been allocated for provision of CT scan and Rs 2 billion earmarked for MRI facility.
* Rs 151.50 billion had been allocated for specialized health programme which is 93 per cent more than the previous year. For rehabilitation of hospitals Rs 5 billion rupees were being earmarked and Rs 2 billion for upgradation of hostels of medical colleges and Rs 2 billion had been allocated for provision of MRI and CT Scan facility in tertiary hospital while new medical colleges would be constructed in Okara and Narowal.
* Rs 2.5 billion had been allocated for nursing colleges while 3.5 billion earmarked for establishment of nursing university in PKLI.
* Rs1.40 billion allocated for social protection authority under which senior citizens, special persons, transgender and widow would be given Rs 2000 per month.
*Rs 19.40 billion allocated for livestock sector in which Rs 2.85 billion had been allocated for university of veterinary sciences in Chichawatni.
* Rs1.58 billion amount would be spent for missing facilities of livestock sector in Lahore, DG Khan, Bahawalpur and Sargodha.
* For the irrigation sector Rs 53.32 billion had been allocated in which Rs 25.69 billion would be spent on development.
* Rs 4.70 billion would be spent in Khushab and Mianwali for restoration of Mahaar lift at Mahajir branch canal.
* For prevention of river erosion, Rs 2.5 billion have been allocated. For lining of canal Rs1.80 billion had been allocated whereas for rehabilitation of Trimu and Panjnad head Rs 1.20 billion have been earmarked and to provide drinking water in Cholistan Rs 84 crore have been allocated.
* Rs 23.83 billion had been allocated for industrial sector development in which Rs 12.53 billion would be spent on development.
* Rs 8.25 billion had been earmarked for establishment of Mir Chakar Rind University DG Khan and also enhancing the capability of Tianjing university.
* Rs 6 billion budget would be spent on prevention of smog , air pollution, forest fire and other natural calamities and to combat the climate changes.
* Rs 8.83 billion had been allocated for the promotion of sports in which Rs 7.70 billion would be spent on development projects.
* Rs 1.27 billion for women development department and Rs 2.5 billion for protection of minorities.
* Rs 528 billion for local government while Rs 60 core dollars would spend on upgradation of big cities projects.
* Historic 30 per cent overall increase was being to government servants from grade 1 to 19. Minimum wages was being increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 for labourers.
