LAHORE: The Punjab caretaker cabinet on Monday approved a ‘surplus’ budget of Rs2,076 billion (Rs2.076tr) for next four months — November to February 2024.

The meeting presided over by caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi approved the four-month budget amounting to Rs2,076.2bn, including a development expenditure of Rs351bn.

During the meeting, an allocation of Rs50bn was made to provide relief to the people of the province. A sum of Rs208bn, Rs222bn and Rs10bn was allocated for the health, education and agricultural sectors, respectively.

The cabinet also set aside Rs 1.8bn for the National Health Support Programme, along with an allocation of Rs5bn for the Punjab textbooks. To address the climate change challenges, an amount of Rs7.3bn was earmarked for necessary initiatives.

The cabinet stressed the implementation of a minimum wage of Rs32,000 for workers effective from July 1, 2023.

PTI says it’s unconstitutional

The meeting laid emphasis on anti-smog measures, particularly in areas including Sheikhupura, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Lahore, and Kasur. The CM urged a zero-tolerance approach towards violations of these measures, directing the commissioners and deputy commissioners to rigorously enforce regulations on smoke-emitting vehicles and brick kilns.

Stringent measures were advised for ongoing construction projects, emphasising regular sprinkling of water, and a strict prohibition on crop residue burning.

The Punjab Price Control for Essential Commodities Ordinance 2023 also received cabinet approval.

Provincial ministers, advisers, chief secretary, Inspector General of Police, Advocate General Punjab, chairman planning and development board and secretaries were also present in the meeting.

PTI REACTION: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) focal person for Economic Affairs Muzamil Aslam raised legal questions on the conduct of `illegal’ caretaker Punjab government for approving a whopping over Rs2 trillion budget for next four months amid the election season in the country.

In his reaction to the development, Aslam said that the main reason for not conducting the election within 90 days was the census, as the Supreme Court itself stated during the last hearing that there was no need to talk about 90 days now.

He stated that the interim provincial governments of Punjab and KP had been in power for almost nine months, since the elections were not held in 90 days in both provinces, the constitution only allowed the caretaker government to present a budget for four months.

However, he said it was nowhere written in the constitution that after the lapse of four months, the caretaker government could also present the budget for another four months, adding that the first four-month budgets presented by the Punjab and KP caretaker governments were ending on October 31 (today).

Muzamil Aslam recalled that the budget for the entire fiscal year was presented before the Sindh and Balochistan governments were dissolved. Muzamil said that how can an unelected person present a budget worth billions of rupees, adding that the Punjab government received an income of Rs622bn, of which Rs525bn was transferred by the federal government, which did not have any such mandate.

He said Mohsin Naqvi could release funds for the ongoing development projects but how could he launch new projects without a formal system and procedure.

Published in Dawn, October 31st, 2023