LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht announced on Friday reserving 32 percent quota in government jobs for three divisions of the southern Punjab.
Accompanied by Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Information Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, he was addressing a press conference on the initiatives for South Punjab development at Chief Minister's Secretariat, 90 Shahra-e-Quaid-e-Azam.
He said a summary of amendments to the existing laws governing civil services has been prepared. He added that land acquisition for the South Punjab Secretariat, acquisition of buildings for temporary offices and relocated departments would be complete by the end of the current financial year.
The minister said details of South Punjab's annual development program and utilization of funds in the budget for the next financial year would be published in the form of a separate book to prove the budget allocated for South Punjab under the present government was spent in South Punjab. He said no cuts were made to the funds announced in the budget for South Punjab, while were made in the past cut and funds were spent somewhere else.
He said that had the PTI been in required majority in Senate, the promise of South Punjab would have been materialised by now.
The allocation of quotas in jobs would improve the administrative arrangements for the deployment of employees from the respective districts for the provision of services in South Punjab. The minister said tax relief of over Rs56 billion was given in the current financial year due to Covid-19 pandemic. The budget for the next financial year would also also introduce similar measures to facilitate job restoration and business growth.
He said that a comprehensive plan was being prepared for the protection of small and medium enterprise (SMEs) in the next budget. He claimed that the government had sufficient resources for protection the people from Covid-19. He said the Punjab had ensured timely provision of funds to the health department, and would maintain it in the next fiscal year also.
He said the issuance of Insaf Health Insurance Card in two districts of Punjab would be complete this year, while the remaining districts would get the facility in the next financial year. All government schools that meet the secondary-level requirements would be upgraded, he added.