The Balochistan budget for the next fiscal year with a total outlay of Rs584.083 billion was presented in the provincial assembly on Friday after the clash between the opposition and the police came to a close.
The Balochistan Assembly premises had earlier been blocked by MPAs of the opposition on Friday to prevent the presentation of the provincial budget for the new fiscal year.
The budget session could not commence at its scheduled time of 4 pm as opposition members locked up the assembly gates and prevented administrative officials from opening the gates. The opposition members continued their protest inside and outside the assembly building, Dawn reported.
Following the administration’s failure to open the assembly building, negotiations had been underway between Quetta Deputy Commissioner Aurangzeb Badini and opposition leader Advocate Malik Sikandar Khan.
Meanwhile, Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani said in a statement at the time of the protest that no constituency had been ignored in the budget proposals. He added that multiple development projects such as Sariab Road had been launched in opposition constituencies.
The blockage had devolved into a chaotic scene as scores of protestors, opposition lawmakers, and supporters outside the assembly were baton-charged by police.
The opposition’s protest and clashes intensified, as per reports, when the chief minister arrived at the assembly.
Police had managed to open the doors of the assembly so that the government lawmakers could enter for the budget session. Police further said the opposition lawmakers had locked all four doors of the Balochistan Assembly to prevent the budget session from taking place.
The budget session commenced under the chair of Speaker Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo. Opposition MPA Nasrullah Zehray accused the police of using violent methods to disperse the “peaceful protest” outside the assembly.
Sana Baloch, another MPA, lashed out at the government, saying that the province was at its worst state since its inception.
He said lawmakers Abdul Wahid Siddiqui and Babar Rahim Mengal had been injured by the police’s armoured vehicle.
Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Zahoor Ahmad Buledi presented the budget during the session.
Separately, while speaking to Geo News, Balochistan Information Minister Liaquat Shahwani had said the clashes had proven how ill-disciplined and non-serious the Opposition was.
“Assembly is a prestigious institution and they have attacked it. The same assembly whose members these people themselves are,” he said, attacking opposition MPAs.
“They are doing this by design and deliberately,” he said. “They have proven they do not follow any democratic values and to protect their personal interests, they [opposition] are ready to go to any length.”
Shahwani said if the opposition was serious, it would have properly gone through the budget and recommended its suggestions.
“Have you heard their proposals or demands?” he asked. “This is the best budget in Pakistan’s history and will be presented today,” he added.
He rejected reports that the Balochistan chief minister had been hit by a flower pot, adding that the Opposition supporters’ act of hurling objects was “shameful”.
“After this, they will not be able to even take the name of democracy ever again,” he added.
Once the sit-in had finished, Balochistan Finance Minister Zahoor Ahmed Buledi presented the budget in the house and said that no new tax has been imposed.
He said that Rs237 billion have been allocated for developmental and more than Rs346 billion for non-developmental expenditures.
Buledi said more than Rs55 billion have been allocated for the betterment of the health sector while over Rs61 billion for the school and education sector. About Rs21 billion have been allocated for the uplift of higher education in the province.
The finance minister said more than Rs20 billion have been allocated for the agriculture sector. Buledi said that the government is presenting a balanced budget for the new fiscal year. It has been suggested to allocate Rs3.6 billion in the new budget to combat the coronavirus pandemic, whereas the province aims to vaccinate all citizens. He said that Rs500 million will be spent on the expansion of the children’s hospital, he added.
The government announced an end to the slip system from all state-administered hospitals across the province, whereas emergency centres are being established alongside roads. An amount of Rs5.5 billion is allocated for the health insurance card programme by the provincial government. More than Rs76 billion have been allocated for the initiation of 2,086 new schemes, announced Buledi.
“Rs200 million are allocated for the construction of two new hostels in Bolan Medical College; more than 200 government schools will be upgraded; Rs112 billion for ongoing development schemes while the budgeted development outlay is Rs189.19 billion for the new fiscal year.”
The government employees will get a salary raise up to 10 percent, announced the finance minister. He said that 5,000 new vacancies will be generated in the new fiscal year. He said that Rs71 billion for education sector, Rs52 billion for law and order, Rs2.2 billion for Balochistan Enterprise Development, Rs2 billion support fund for differently-abled persons, Rs3 billion for Apna House Fund for government employees, Rs500 million for minorities welfare fund,
Rs500 million for women economic empowerment, Rs3 billion for Balochistan pension fund, Rs2 billion for Balochistan Public Endowment Fund, and Rs11 billion have been allocated for upgrading District Headquarters Hospitals.
On the other hand, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, approved the provincial budget for the fiscal year 2021-22, proposing a hike in salaries by 25 per cent for government employees.
According to details, the budget proposals were presented before the provincial cabinet for discussion and after its approval from the forum, KP CM Mahmood Khan also signed it.
The overall outlay for the KP budget is estimated at Rs1.118 trillion with Rs316 billion earmarked for the development portfolio. An amount of Rs250 billion was earmarked for the ‘Bandobasti’ districts of the province.
According to a previous report, an increase of 25 percent in the salaries of the government employees from grade 1 to 19 has been proposed in the KP budget, while 10 pc raise has been proposed for the government employees of above grade 19.
The minimum wage of workers would be increased to Rs21,000.
The government has allocated funds for Rescue 1122 new ambulances while the government will also announce the recruitment of new teachers in the budget 2021-22.
It is pertinent to mention here that besides the Centre, the Punjab and Sindh provinces have already tabled their budgets before the respective assemblies.
With additional input from INP and TLTP
