PTI’s first budget to facilitate people: CM

LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that realistic targets will be fixed to increase the resources and people will be given more facilities by ensuring financial discipline in government departments.

A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Monday decided to reduce the non-development expenditures of the province.

The chief minister Sardar Usman Buzdar presided over a meeting in his office here in which proposals regarding eight months budget of the current fiscal year, development programme and increase in resources were reviewed in detail. Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that realistic targets will be fixed to increase the resources and people will be given more facilities by ensuring financial discipline in government departments. A culture of austerity and savings will be introduced at every level and resources will be provided to arrange basic facilities for the people by decreasing unnecessary expenditures, he said. The common man will not be burdened by the government, he assured.

The chief minister directed that solid steps should be taken to facilitate the general public in budget and no such steps should be taken which could affect the masses. The culture of change should be visible in our first budget and the deprived areas will be given preference in the development programmes, he added. Resources will be allocated for the developed areas. More attention will be given to provide basic necessities of life to the people of the province. Instead of relying on slogans, the budget will depict the practical steps. He said that development and prosperity of southern Punjab is included in the manifesto of PTI and our development programme will redress the deprivations of southern Punjab. Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan said that revenue will have to be increased along with bringing reasonable decrease in government expenditures. The traditional procedure of increasing the resources will have to be avoided and for that purpose, the departments are needed to work on new and innovative ideas, he said. Provincial Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht said that first budget of the PTI government will depict realistic figures. On the occasion, the chief minister was also given briefing about the recommendations relating to budget, annual development programme and increase in resources.

change: Usman Buzdar has said that the government is fully aware of the people’s problems and every step will be taken for their welfare.

Talking to various parliamentarians of PTI who called on him at his office here Monday, the chief minister said a change will be visible in 100 days under the agenda of Prime Minister Imran Khan and added that the assembly members are my strength. Their respect is my honour and my doors are always open to them, he added.

During the meeting, matters relating to the solution to people’s problems, development programmes and welfare projects came under discussion. The chief minister said that PTI has emerged as the strong voice of the people and now the people’s lot will be improved. He regretted that past government bankrupted the provincial economy and added that incumbent government is rectifying the losses occurred due to wrong policies of the previous government. He said that every sort of decisions would be taken to improve the lot of the people and only the PTI will bring real change in the country as Imran Khan is trusted by the whole nation and has the vision of a genuine leader of the people, he concluded.