PA blasts govt for ignoring opinions of legislators

LAHORE
PROVINCIAL Minister for Law, Finance, Excise, and Taxation Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman Monday remained absent throughout the pre-budget discussion in Punjab Assembly to the visible disdain of members from both treasury and opposition benches.
The discussion on proposals for the upcoming budget for the province quickly turned into a succession of tirades against the Punjab government for not treating the opinions of MPAs with due seriousness. PPP MPA Sardar Shahabuddin staged a walkout during the pre-budget discussion as the Finance Minister did not record the suggestions being given on the floor of the House and his replacement, Provincial Minister Khalil Tahir Sindhu, was busy conversing with other members. He later returned to the House after being convinced by Minister Asif Bha.
The Punjab Assembly reconvened on Monday with less than 40 MPAs and two persons on the opposition bench after a one-hour delay. JI MPA Dr Syed Waseem Akhter later pointed out quorum and bells were subsequently rung for five minutes leading MPAs to return to the House. Journalists from Afghanistan especially attended the session and were greeted by Parliamentary Secretary for Culture and Information Rana Arshad.
Question hour revolved around the problems and working of the Local Government and Community Development Department, including lack of water filtration plants in South Punjab, audit reports of Union Councils, absence of functional medical dispensaries, and rainwater pond in Layyah district threatening residents with dengue fever.
PPP MPA Shahabuddin reprimanded Minerals Minister Sher Ali Khan, who has taken the additional charge of the two departments, for not paying attention to the problem of dengue in his constituency. Responding to his criticism, Khan informed the House that an NOC had to be given by Punjab Railways since the still water was adjacent to a railway track in the South Punjab district. Dissatisfied with the justification given, the PPP MPA noted that the problem had persisted for two years and three DCOs had been changed in Layyah in this period. PML-N MPA Raheela Khadim Hussain, meanwhile, brought the attention of the House towards the lack of functional dispensaries with facilities in PP-144 and PP-145. On the orders of presiding Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani, it was resolved by the minister to visit the two constituencies for inspection.
Answering to concerns regarding water filtration plants in Bahawalpur posed by PML-N MPA Fauzia Ayub Qureshi, Minister Sher Ali Khan informed that under the Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif Saaf Pani Project, projects for accessible clean drinking water will be undertaken in the coming fiscal year. Criticising the departments for lack of progress, PPP MPA Faiza Ahmed Malik observed that funds for developing main Shahd Bagh Road in the provincial metropolis to curb heavy traffic had not been disclosed and TMA Shalimar Town had stated that funds were not available.
The female MPA continued her speech blasting the Punjab government for ignoring parts of Lahore and only developing those areas with VIP movement. Also scrutinising the government for lack of oversight, PML-N MPA Amjad Ali Javed complained that audit reports of UC-45 and UC-46 had not been completed and delivered to the respective union councils for a stunning period of five years.
Replying to a call attention notice later in the session, Home Minister Shuja Khanzada informed that the Old Anarkali police station had registered an FIR against unknown persons behind the brutal killing of a 60-year-old property dealer and his SIM was being studied for possible suspects.
Several MPAs urged upon the Punjab government to devote more funds to farmers in the province in the form of support prices and welfare schemes, implement the fixed price of sugarcane in Punjab, curb private companies from exporting and monopolising milk, construct schools and dispensaries in interior Punjab, allocate funds to minority communities in Cholistan desert, improve tax collection and resume wealth tax, engage farmers in Apna Rozgaar Scheme, increase supply of interferon injections to curb Hepatitis, and launch a district finance commission award in the line of National Finance Commission Award.