Azad Jammu Kashmir Finance Minister Abdul Majeed Khan said that despite difficult circumstances, the government presented a balanced and people-friendly budget that will prove to be a step towards improvement of people’ lives
Khan expressed these views while addressing a post-budget media talk in the State metropolis on Sunday. Additional Chief Secretary Development Dr. Sajid Mehmood Chauhan, Secretary Finance Ismatullah Shah and Secretary Information and IT Ms. Midhat Shehzad were also present on this occasion.
Speaking on the occasion the finance minister lauded the efforts of AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary Development, Secretary Finance and his team for presenting the best budget. Now that the budget has been presented in the Assembly, Khan said that it was incumbent on the opposition to play its due role in the House to get it passed. “The government will provide Rs. 100 million for the earthquake victims in Afghanistan and will try to reach out to the Afghan brothers as per the policy of the government of Pakistan,”he said.
Highlighting the salient features of the budget, he said, “Annual grant of Press Foundation has been increased from Rs 3.3 million to Rs 5 million whereas Rs. 85 million has been allocated for advertisements in the current financial year while Rs. 100 million has been allocated for the next financial year”.
Regarding the reduction of power losses in transmission lines, he said that the government was going to set up a private company (DISCO) to tackle this issue effectively. He said that the Rescue 1122 service has been launched in Tehsil headquarters adjacent to LOC. “In addition, Bomb Disposal Squad Units and Bike Ambulance Service are being set up in the Sub-Divisions located on the LOC,” he added.
“Tourism and Archaeology Secretariat has been set up for the promotion of tourism”, he added. The finance minister further said that the directorate of EMIS has been established for monitoring and obtaining data of biometric devices installed in educational institutions. He said that Rs. 418.494 million has been provided to the victims of disaster relief in the current financial year.
