Hamza wants Budget 22-23 pro-poor

LAHORE:A meeting was held under the chair of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz at his office Monday in which salient features of the budget for the new financial year and annual development programme were reviewed.

The chief minister directed to focus on providing maximum facilities to the common man. The new budget should be pro-poor and it should not impose any burden on the common man, he stressed. Out of box measures should be taken to lessen the difficulties for people, he said. While instructing to increase the funds for South Punjab, he stated that more resources should be allocated for the welfare of the people of South Punjab. Hamza Shehbaz directed to finalise the new budget and ADP proposals soon and formed a committee consisting of elected representatives and economists. MPAs Abdul Aleem Khan, Sardar Owais Leghari, Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, Kh. Imran Nazir, Zeeshan Rafiq, PMLN leader Atta Tarar, chairman P&D and others attended the meeting.

FREE MEDICINES: The chief minister said that the supply of medicines to cancer patients should continue uninterrupted. Allah will be pleased with the provision of free medicines to the patients. There should be no further delay in this good deed. A meeting was held under the chair of Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz in which the provision of free medicines to cancer patients was reviewed. The secretary health reported that negotiations were underway with the pharmaceutical company for the provision of free medicines to 7,439 patients. Kh Imran Nazir, Kh Salman Rafiq, secretary finance and others attended the meeting.

PARLIAMENTARIANS: Former MNA Malik Abrar Ahmad, MPAs, including Kh Muhammad Wasim, Mian Margoob Ahmad and Sardar Khalid Mehmood called on the chief minister and appreciated the step of reducing the price of the 10-KG flour bag. The initiative would help the common man to get rid of inflation, they said. Hamza Shehbaz said that the price of a 10-KG bag of flour was fixed at Rs490 in the whole province. District price control committees have been reactivated in Punjab. It is the right of traders to make legitimate profits but no one is allowed to make illicit profiteering, he added. Sardar Owais Leghari, Atta Tarar, Zeeshan Rafiq and Ali Raza were also present.

GRIEVED: Hamza Shehbaz expressed deep grief over the loss of lives in a road accident near Murree and directed the administration to provide the best medical facilities to the injured being treated at THQ hospital. He also extended sympathies to the bereaved heirs.

MONKEYPOX ALERT: The chief minister directed the health department to remain vigilant in the wake of the possible spread of monkeypox and added that necessary precautions should be adopted.

In a statement, the CM emphasised that the health department should ensure the implementation of WHO precautions. Similarly, advance measures should be timely adopted to stop the spread of this disease, including devising an effective mechanism for the screening of passengers at airports. A campaign should also be run in addition to setting up a monitoring cell, he concluded.

‘Maintaining peace priority’: Hamza Shehbaz reviewed the measures taken for the protection of life and property of the people. He held a meeting here on Monday. IG police briefed him about the steps taken for maintaining law and order, including the recovery of a student abducted from Shad Bagh.

The CM directed him to take all necessary steps to maintain law and order in the province. He said that maintaining law and order was the first responsibility of the government.