KP Assembly approves supplementary budget

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday approved the supplementary budget for the current financial year 2020-21 unanimously.

The demands for grant of about Rs109.118 billion supplementary budget was presented on June 18 in the provincial assembly. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Salim Jhagra informed the House that the federal government would pay Rs36 billion in installments on account of net hydel profit to the province.

A total of 55 demands for grant were tabled and approved for the expenditure and revenue shown in the supplementary budget for different departments and sectors. Criticising performance of different provincial departments, the opposition members withdrew their cut motions and all the demands for grant were passed unanimously.

Out of about Rs109.118 billion, a sum of Rs78.84 billion were spent on current revenue expenditures in different heads of provincial departments including police, communication and works, primary and secondary education, food, health, science and technology, agriculture and others.

An amount of Rs30.27 billion for development expenditures were also reflected in the supplementary budget for the outgoing financial year. Speaking on the occasion, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra said the pension system and procedures to be improved and simplified in the province.

He claimed the PTI government maintained transparency in the annual and supplementary budget. He hoped the revenue target set for the next fiscal year would be achieved from the provincial resources.

The minister said the federal government would be approached for receiving the net hydel profit and other financial resources under the National Finance Commission Award. He informed the House the federal government had made a commitment that the remaining amount of Rs36 billion on account of net hydel profit would be given to the province in two equal installments.

Appreciating the role of opposition members during the budget session, Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly maintained its traditions by approving the annual and supplementary budgets in a friendly atmosphere.

He said the treasury benches, particularly the chief minister and finance minister, should welcome constructive criticism and proposals on the part of opposition benches during the budget session. The speaker said the elected representatives, including women lawmakers, should be given their due share in the development funds. Earlier, on a point of order, Pakistan People’s Party’s Amjad Afridi said that the closure of gas supply to CNG stations and industrial units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was in violation of the court decision. He pointed out that the province produced more natural gas than its consumption.

He asked the provincial government to raise the issue with the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited. He maintained that according to the court order, the supply of gas to CNG stations and industries must be restored at once.

He said that supply to CNG stations had been closed from June 25 to July 5 in the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Speaker Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani in his ruling directed the general manager SNGPL to come to the House and brief the lawmakers about the latest situation. The session was adjourned for an indefinite period.