NA approves 53 demands for grants relating to various divisions
Shares
The National Assembly today approved forty two demands for grants relating to various divisions, rejecting all cut motions moved by the opposition through majority vote.
These six demands relating to Power and Petroleum Divisions, the same number of demands relating to defence division and 30 demands for grants relating to finance division.
Prime Minister Imran Khan and Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif also participated in the voting process.
Winding up discussion on the grants, Minister for Power Division Omar Ayub Khan said 75 percent of electricity and 45 percent gas consumers will not be affected by increase in prices of these commodities.
He said the government has provided subsidy to facilitate electricity and gas consumers. Minister for Power Division said 80 percent of the total feeders are now load-shedding free across Pakistan. He said supply of additional electricity for three hours to all the feeders in Balochistan has begun.
Earlier, speaking on cut motions, opposition members criticized performance of the Power and Petroleum Division and said that government has increased the prices of gas upto 300 percent which is affecting industrial sector as well as general public.
They said government did not generate even one megawatts electricity but it enhanced the prices of electricity.
The opposition members said no effective steps are being taken for exploration in oil sector.
They said the previous government PML-N generated 11,000 megawatts electricity but it did not increase the prices of electricity and gas.
The members called for improving the power transmission system to avoid line losses.
The House approved further 30 demands for grants relating to finance division and foreign affairs division, rejecting all the cut motions moved by the opposition through majority vote.
Winding up discussion on these grants, Minister-in-charge for Finance Hammad Azhar said a substantial amount has been allocated for a number of projects in South Punjab.
He said the government has increased budget for health and education sector. He said 35 percent more funds have been reserved for Higher Education Commission on development expenditure, while 14 billion rupees have been approved for knowledge economy.
Hammad Azhar said health budget has been enhanced from eight to 13 billion rupees.
He said Federal Bureau of Revenue has done a marvelous job in just ten months by integrating data of over fifty million people. He said the government has implemented benami rules.
Regarding borrowing by the PTI government, Hammad Azhar said only 2,400 billion rupees have been borrowed during last 10 months. He said foreign exchange reserves are improving, trade and current account deficits declining due to prudent economic policies of government.
At the end, the Minister announced three honorariums for the staff of various departments, who performed duty during the budget session.
Among others, who participated in the debate, include Naveed Qamar, Barjees Tahir, Yousuf Talpur, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Abdul Qadir Patel, Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Nafisa Shah, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Ali Pervaiz, Raza Rabbani Khar, Syed Javed Husnain, Muhammad Anwar, Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, Rana Muhammad Ishaq Khan and Ehsanul Haq Bajwa.
