CM presides over a high level meeting to consider proposals regarding provincial budget

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that despite difficult situation, public welfare oriented budget will be presented in the province. He said that a comprehensive strategy will be evolved for curtailing non-developmental expenditures. He said that special attention would be paid to education, health , energy and infrastructure sectors in the forthcoming budget.

He was presiding over a high level meeting to consider proposals regarding provincial budget for financial year 2013-14 at Modal Town today. Provincial Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Minister for Local Government and Law Rana Sana Ullah Khan, Minister for Education Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, Advisor to Chief Minister Azm-ul-Haq, Chief Secretary, Chairman P&D, Secretary Finance and other concerned officials were also present.

The Chief Minister said that effective steps would be taken for the welfare of the downtrodden and poor people. He said that budget would reflect public aspirations and regional balance would be focused in the process of development.   He said that like previous year, more funds would also be allocated this year for the development and prosperity of the people of South Punjab.

Addressing the meeting, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif said that new fiscal year budget would prove to be a new roadmap of development and prosperity in the province. He said that special measures would be taken in the budget for the development of social sectors whereas promotion of economic activities, provision of new job opportunities and poverty alleviation would be priorities of the government.

The Chief Minister said that such steps would be suggested in the budget as would ensure provision of conducive atmosphere and encouragement to the participation of private sector in all sectors. He said that steps would be taken for increasing agriculture and industrial production.

Shahbaz Sharif said that more funds would be allocated for the uplift of education, health, energy and social sectors. He said that new financial year 2013-14 budget would be the best, balanced and people-friendly in which projects would be included for the development and prosperity of the people and improving their living standard. He said that with the implementation of the steps proposed in the new budget, new era of development and prosperity would usher in.

The Chief Minister said that more funds than previous year would be allocated for the development of less developed areas. The Chief Minister said that measures would also be taken with regard to simplicity, austerity and saving at government level in the budget. He said that concrete steps would be taken for the betterment of women and the neglected segments of the society. He said that Punjab government has diverted resources for the development and prosperity of poor and less privileged segments of the society. He said that new financial year budget of Punjab would reflect the public aspirations in the real sense. The meeting considered various proposals regarding financial year budget 2013-14.