RAWALPINDI: Financial constraints have forced the Punjab government to cut development budget for NA-55 but it has doled out millions of rupees for NA-56, the constituency of the PTI chairman, Imran Khan, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

The provincial government has released more than Rs250 million for NA-56, but for NA-55, it has stopped releasing Rs30 million.

Besides stopping the funds for NA-55, the government had imposed a 15 per cent cut on the budget for the local administration.

PTI MPA says PML-N dolling out money to win back the constituency

A senior official of the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that the Punjab government had asked the CDGR to adopt austerity measures, but it released the funds for the development project proposed by former MNA Hanif Abbasi.

The PTI MPA, Arif Abbasi, told Dawn that the PML-N was dolling out millions of rupees for the constituency to win it back.

“Being member of the provincial assembly, I did not receive any fund for my constituency and those who were defeated in the 2013 elections were receiving funds from the provincial government,” he said.

He said the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) done a lot of work during its tenure from 2002 to 2007 but failed to fare well in 2008 and 2013 elections.

So PML-N would be unable to win in the coming elections as people voted for the agenda of the political parties and PTI had people friendly agenda.

He said former MNA had inaugurated development projects in the constituency but the elected members were ignored by the provincial government.

“We cannot summon the Punjab Assembly session as the opposition is less in number otherwise, there is a long list of public problems in the garrison city which should be highlighted in the assembly.

“We will raise the issues in the next assembly session,” he said.

When contacted, PML-N former MNA Malik Shakil Awan admitted that the city areas received less funds as compared to the areas fell in NA-56.

He said the government had recently launched metro bus service worth Rs44.81 billion and the development will start after the formation of the local government.

He said that after the formation of the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC), the residents of the city areas would feel a difference in terms of development in the city.

He said the provincial government and the PML-N had completed its homework and new projects would be launched next fiscal year.

He said the PML-N believed in work whether it was the constituency of opposition member or ruling party. “We believe in work without discrimination,” the PML-N leader said.

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2016