PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly was informed on Monday that more than 66.5 million rupees were spent on an expo organized in Dubai in October 2021 to attract foreign investment and businessmen.
Shahida Waheed of Awami National Party (ANP) during the question hour said that Rs66,542,439 were spent on Dubai Expo.
Responding to the question, Advisor to Chief Minister on Trade and Industries Abdul Khan said the provincial government released Rs496 million to planning and development department for the Expo, however 67 percent of the total amount was saved due to comprehensive planning.
On a supplementary question, Shahida complained that irrelevant persons visited the expo on government expenses. Referring to official documents she said seven cabinet members, 47 bureaucrats and public officials and 44 artists, anchors and troupes visited the expo.
The CM’s aide rejected the allegation and said that all the relevant persons visited the expo.
Meanwhile, the House was informed on a question of Khushdil Khan Advocate of ANP that as many as 304 industrial units shut their operations in KP from 2017 to 2020 due to different reasons including gas issues and non-payment of income tax, adding that 5,902 labours were working in these industries.
The House was informed in a written reply to a question of Ahmad Kundi of PPP that according to Brick-kiln Association 67,480 labours were working throughout the province.
To a question of Nighat Orakzai of PPP, it was submitted by the Auqaf, Hajj and Religious Affairs department of Orakzai that Rs11.999 million were allocated for the department for construction and renovation of Mosques, seminaries and Dar-ul-Aloom.
The government released Rs 11.99 million to the department while 11.740 million were spent on the different projects under ADP.
Meanwhile, the House passed the Upper Swat Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2022 and tabled KP Educational Testing and Evaluation Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the House, moved by Minister for Labour Shaukat Ali Yousafzai and Minister for Higher Education Kamran Bangash respectively.
Later, the deputy speaker Mahood Jan adjourned the Assembly proceeding till Tuesday 1400 hours due to lack of quorum pointed out by Ziaullah Bangash of PTI.
