Daily Times

LAHORE: The Punjab government has received flak from the opposition for demanding Rs 168 billion supplementary grant for the fiscal year 2016-17.

The debate on supplementary grant was started in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday with acting Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani in the chair.

Unlike the past, the demanded was opened by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers Shoaib Siddiqui instead of the opposition leader or the deputy opposition leader.

He criticised the government for not spending Rs 167 development budget allocated in the fiscal year 2016-17.

He said that the government spent Rs 300 million more than Rs 420 million allocated for the Chief Minister’s House. Similarly, the government, he said, spent Rs 28 billion for local governments against Rs 13 billion allocated.

Moreover, he said that the Finance Department spend an additional amount of Rs 100 billion on non-development expenditures, while the Services and General Administration Department spent additional amount of Rs 42 billion.

The PTI leader took government to task for not utilising allocated funds on uplift projects. He said that the government could not utilise Rs 14 billion allocated for agriculture sector, Rs 290 million for minorities and Rs five billion for Saaf Pani Programme, Rs 370 million for special education, Rs 1 billion for sports, Rs 58 billion for transport, Rs 1.5 billion for forest and Rs 9 billion for higher and primary education sectors.

He, however, said that the government splashed out Rs 130 million on VIP movement of the chief minister, and Rs 2 billion on security of Qatari princes who had come to Pakistan for hunting.

Opposition legislators, including Dr Nosheen Hamid, Shenila Ruth, Malik Taimur Masood and Nabila Hakim Ali also participated in the supplementary budget debate and criticised the government for splashing out on unnecessary projects.

Meanwhile, treasury members, including Waheed Gul, Ali Asghar Manda, Rana Jameel, Rofan Julius, and Mian Rafiqu also addressed the House and tried their best to defend the government for using additional funds.

During the session, Rana Jameel criticised the PTI leadership, especially Imran Khan, and used some derogatory words against his female PTI colleagues.

He also condemned the opposition’s act of blowing whistles in the budget session. Anyhow, the chair switched his mike off and advised him not to utter lewd remarks against his colleagues.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed on a point of order demanded the chair to advise Rana Jameel to seek an apology for using derogatory words against PTI lawmakers.

Later, the opposition staged a walkout from the House when the chair did not pay any attention to his demand.