Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Thursday directed the provincial departments to cut unnecessary expenditures as novel coronavirus has created difficult circumstances.
Usman Buzdar chaired a special session at the CM Office to deliberate on the upcoming budget and annual development program for fiscal year 2020-21. The CM instructed to give priority to health and welfare sectors in the budget.
“All departments need to follow strict financial discipline and promote austerity measures by controlling expenditures. Solid steps should be taken by departments themselves and subsidies being given to various sectors should be lessened.
“Attention should be paid to public-private partnerships for development works and a compact program should be devised to provide relief to commoners.”
Chairman of the Planning and Development Board gave briefing over the annual development program for 2020-21.
Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht, Adviser Dr Salman Shah, chief secretary, finance secretary, special monitoring unit chief and others attended the meeting.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that credit goes to the PTI government for launching the largest financial aid program. He announced that an amount of Rs7.87 billion has been distributed in more than six lac and 56 thousand deserving families under CM Punjab Insaf Imdad Package and Ehsaas Program. A most transparent aid distribution system has been devised to help the needy, he added. Such programs were launched in the past for personal projection and rights of the needy were usurped by an undue distribution of resources, the CM concluded.
Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar attended the prayer meeting at his office to pay homage to late PTI MPA Shaheen Raza on Thursday. The participants expressed a deep sense of sorrow over the death of Shaheen Raza due to coronavirus and offered Fateha for the departed soul.
The CM paid tributes to her socio-political services and announced to name an institute in Gujranwala after her. Shaheen Raza proactively represented the party at every occasion and her services will be remembered till long, he added. We all are like a family and our joys and sorrows are also common. Shaheen Raza always remained on the front during my visits to Gujranwala and I am saddened over her death, he further said. She was a valuable asset of the party and her death is a big tragedy for all of us as the party has been deprived of a sincere lieutenant. She was also a torch-bearer of democratic value, he added. Law Minister Raja Basharat termed Shaheen Raza as a hardworking and sincere parliamentarian who took an active part in legislation. He announced to table a resolution in Punjab assembly in recognition of her services. Provincial Minister Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed said that Shaheen Raza was a committed worker, who also remained on the forefront in the anti-coronavirus drive. Woman assembly members paid tributes to Shaheen Raza stating that she devoted her life for the party and she was a committed parliamentarian. Auqaf Minister Saeed-ul-Hassan shah led the prayer for Shaheen Raza and other martyrs.
Col. (R) Muhammad Anwar, Punjab assembly members including Syed Abbas Ali Shah, Mamoon Tarar, Mussarat Jamshed Cheema, Uzma Kardar, Sadia Sohail Rana, Sumaira Ahmad, Zainab Umair, Talat Fatima, Zara Naqvi, Ummal-ul-Nabeen, Neelam Hayat, PTI leader from Bahawalpur Sumaira Malik, ticket holder from Gujranwala Rana Bilal Ejaz, Ahmad Chatta and others attended the prayer ceremony.
