LAHORE:PML-N has criticised the Punjab government’s three years performance and said the present government is a failure and it only has installed plaques on projects started by PMLN government.
Punjab spokesperson Azma Bukhari along with PML-N MPA Hina Pervaiz Butt said this in a press conference held here on Thursday. She said the chief minister was doing nothing except putting up plaques on the projects started during Shehbaz Sharif’s era.
She said the Punjab government allocated Rs150 million for martyrs but did not give a single penny, allocated Rs20 million for eunuchs but did not spend 75pc. The Punjab government has incurred an additional expenditure of Rs248 billion this year, she said, adding there were 88,885 vacancies in government schools in Punjab but no steps have been taken to fill these vacancies. This year the Buzdar government gave a development budget of Rs560 billion while the PML-N in 2017-18 gave a development budget of Rs 635 billion which was fully utilised, she added.
She said the CM’s office spent 35 per cent more than its budget. A budget of Rs302 million was spent against the budget allocated for ministers and advisers, she claimed. Hina said during the last three years the PTI government changed six Punjab IGs, four chief secretaries and six commissioners of Lahore. She said six officers were changed on the post of additional chief secretary, secretaries Specialized Healthcare have been changed four times, four secretaries of Primary Health Department have also been changed, four secretaries of Schools Education Department have also been changed, 13 secretaries of Higher Education Department have been changed, four secretaries of livestock, while six DCs of Lahore have been replaced.
Hina said the seventh DC was appointed two days ago while the deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners of different districts have also been changed many times. She said 1,100 health workers in Punjab fell victim to Corona. Among them 625 doctors, 307 paramedical staff and 168 nurses fell victim to Corona. Safety kits and N95 masks could not be found, Hina said. The Punjab government decided to buy Corona vaccine in May 2021 and for this two companies were contacted but so far no vaccine was purchased, Azma said and alleged that thousands of vaccines went missing in Services Hospital, General, Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Mozang Hospital. The Punjab government has staged a flop drama of building 21 universities in three years but in reality no new university building has been constructed. The already constructed colleges have been given the status of universities, she stated. Corruption and financial mismanagement in Punjab caused a loss of Rs56.46 billion, Azma alleged and said records of expenditure of Rs268 billion of various projects including Orange Line Train have disappeared. Billions of illegal contracts were awarded from the offices of deputy commissioners, she said, adding that an audit report on non-development expenditure of Punjab for 20-2020 has not been submitted. Non-transparency in equipment repair contracts and procurement and violation of PAPRA rules has resulted in a loss of Rs 5.72 billion, she said while quoting the audit report. She said in the audit report of health authorities for the year 21-2020, it has been revealed that out of the total expenditure of Rs31.68 billion the expenditure worth Rs 16.89 billion (53pc) were audited. Answering a question about asset beyond means case against PML-N Punjab president Rana Sanaullah, Azma alleged that the NAB chairman approved the case on the instructions of Imran Khan. She said the NAB has overlooked the 300-kanal house of Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, PML-N Deputy Secretary General Atta Tarar announced going to court against leasing out Walton Airport on a 90-year lease. Azma Bukhari and other leaders expressed condolence over the death of Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani.