Auqaf dept given Rs300m

LAHORE: The Punjab government has made a huge increase of 500 percent in the annual budget for Auqaf and religious affairs ministry, making a quantum leap from Rs50 million in the 2018-19 to a handsome Rs300 million in 2019-20.

The annual development plan in the budget document 2019-20 shows that this allocation of Rs300 million is the biggest over the last seven years, and shows PTI government’s vision for improving the facilities and maintenance of mosques, shrines, and rehabilitation of religious heritage buildings in the province.

Out of this budgetary allocation, Rs50.81m would be spent on seven ongoing schemes and Rs249.18m would be spent on 15 new schemes in the province.

The targets set by the government in the financial year 2019-20 mainly deal with the completion of the following schemes: Construction of nine Quran Mahal for Shaheed Quranic Papers at divisional level in Punjab, restoration of Shrine Hazrat Shah Sadiq Nahang, District Jhang, construction of Quran Mahal at Sangla Hill City, District Nankana Sahib, reconstruction of mosque at Shrine Hazrat Bala Pir, Okara, reconstruction of Arcade Verandah, Main Entrance, Ablution place and renovation of mosque Ghallah Mandi, Vehari, reconstruction of mosque & shrine Hazrat Daud Jahanian, Muzaffargarh, reconstruction of Jamia Masjid Goth Aloo, Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan, provision of facilities for Zaireen at Shrine Hazrat Imam Ali-ul-Haq, Sialkot, re-use of Ablution Water at Shrine Hazrat Data Gunj Buksh (RA), Lahore, up-gradation of Shrine Hazrat Bibi Pak Daman, Lahore, restoration works and provision for attached facilities at Badshahi Masjid, Lahore, provision of facilities for Zaireen at Shrine Hazrat Baba Farid-ud-Din, Pakpattan, conservation/restoration of Shrine Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Zakriya, Multan, Conservation/Restoration of Shrine Hazrat Sultan Ahmad Qattal, Jalalpur Pirwala, Multan, conservation/restoration and provision of facilities at Shrine Hazrat Shah Habib, Village Baghdad, Khanewal, provision of facilities at Shrine Hazrat Dewan Chawli Mashaikh, Burewala, Vehari, restoration of Shrine Hazrat Sakhi Sarwar, Dera Ghazi Khan, provision of facilities for Zaireen at Shrine Hazrat Zinda Pir, Dera Ghazi Khan, conservation/restoration of Shrine Hazrat Abdul Wahab Bukhari, Daira Deen Panah, Muzaffargarh, conservation/restoration of Shrine Hazrat Pir Rajan Shah, Layyah, Assets Management Plan of Auqaf properties through Geo Mapping, Punjab, Automated Collection of Donations at Shrines of Auqaf Department.