It appears from the Punjab Budget that the PTI government wants to provide considerable relief to the otherwise restive province. The upcoming year’s ADP is 77.5pc higher than the earlier Rs310bn programme. The budget focuses on massive development of roads infrastructure, industry, social sector, health, education and public welfare. The health sector has been allocated Rs 94 billion with promises of more hospitals and universal health insurance in the province by the year end. An amount of Rs51bn has been reserved for education sector whereas the agriculture sector would have a development share of Rs35bn—almost double of the ongoing fiscal year.
The government is notorious for lacking the capacity to consume a major portion of the development budget. But even if it manages to spend a fair portion the allocations, this would create large number of jobs for construction labour, school teachers, doctors and paramedical staff.
So far the PTI govt had little to show for its performance in Punjab. The people faced an unending hike in electricity charges and petrol price while commodities of daily consumption becoming too costly forced the poor to cut down on food items at the expense of their health. The government was widely criticised for increasing poverty and unemployment. The PTI government had no explanation for its lack of performance other than blaming the previous governments for the country’s ills. As time passed the explanation failed to satisfy many.
Budget 2021-22 would create a soft corner for the govt among a fraction of the vastly estranged population of the province. It would also generate hope in some that the government might take other pro-people actions if allowed another term. Meanwhile the government’s army of official spokespersons would as usual make a mountain of a molehill.
With huge development funds promised to the legislators of the ruling alliance, all attended the pre-budge dinner hosted by PM Buzdar. All the allies and erstwhile dissenters promised to get the budget passed. Earlier a delegation comprising a handful of PML-N and PPP malcontents also called on the CM to ensure support for the budget. Those who benefit from the budget would not be impressed by former PM Abbasi’s comment that “the budget is based on lies”. It remains to be seen however if those who gain from the budget are in thousands or millions.
