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KPk government seeks to emulate Caliphate
[Pak Daily Times] The Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf
...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations....
(PTI) led government has presented a welfare oriented budget in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
with special focus on reforms in education, health and police departments besides ending the VIP culture.

This was the gist of post budget presser jointly addressed on Tuesday by Senior Minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Siraj-ul-Haq and Provincial Minister for Information Shaukat Ali Yousafzai.

"Our role model is governance during the tenure of Caliphs and we will try our best to follow them in regard to provision of basic facilities to people and in running the departments," said Siraj-ul-Haq.

He said the budget has been prepared within a very short span of time of five days and main focus was on welfare-oriented schemes, as the government wants to benefit the masses.

He said the chief minister has directed the cabinet that people could feel positive change in governance within a period of at least two months.

Siraj-ul-Haq said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government is trying to end VIP culture and for this purpose the chief minister has decided not to reside in CM house. He said personally he is not using air condition in his office, as ordinary people cannot avail this facility.

The provincial government has decided to cut 50 percent expenditure of the chief minister and governor houses besides imposing ban on lavish treatment of parliamentarians and high-ranking officials.

In the budget with a total outlay of Rs 344 billion, a big chunk of Rs 162 billion is reserved for welfare purposes. While Rs 118 billion will be spent on development schemes of the province. An amount of Rs 63 billion is reserved for meeting administrative expenditure.

Despite limited resources, the government decided to increase salary of government employees by 15 percent along with pension. However now, he continued, the government servants would have to perform well and live up to the expectations of the public.

Similarly, he added, the minimum wage, which was fixed at Rs 7,000 per month, has been increased to Rs 10,000.

The government has declared educational emergency in the province with the objective of improving the education system and improve literacy ratio. The education budget has been increased to Rs 13.83 billion for the coming fiscal year from Rs 12.18 billion in the 2012-13 fiscal.

In response to a question about recovery of arrears under net hydel profit, finance minister said the Jirga system, formed during MMA tenure, would be revived to hold talks with federal government. He expressed the hope that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
will give due consideration to the arguments of KPK government about payment of net hydel profit arrears.

He said the government would receive Rs 6 billion as net hydel profit and Rs 25 billion as arrears from the same head.

The government also announced giving a further five years exemption on the property tax to the industrial units keeping in view massive scheduled power outages, unrest and decline in industrial production in the province.

About the allocations of development funds to MPAs, Siraj-ul-Haq said funds will be allocated as presently the local bodies do not exist and therefore MPAs have to concentrate on these issues.

When asked about use of discretionary fund by chief minister, Siraj said earlier it was proposed that the CM will not utilise discretionary fund, but it was approved later on since the government needs such funds in case of emergencies.


Posted by: Fred 2013-06-19
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=370509