LAHORE: The last budget of the PML-N Punjab government for 2017-18 refiects the continuation of its voter-wooing planning through over Rs30 billion subsidies like for farmers and youth and attractive public transport schemes, preparing itself better for the generalelections ahead.

`The budget is for the welfare of people including women, youth and the marginalised sections of Punjab,` replied a senior officer of the Punjab government when asked whether the government was sure of winning the elections by employing such policies.

A senior officer of the Punjab Finance Department said alloca-tions for the pro-poor initiatives such as the Ramazan package, public transport and wheat subsidy had been budgeted at Rs30 billion. But there were other billions of rupees direct or indirect subsidies too.

The development budget for south Punjab was Rs100 billion but it would actually amount to Rs125 billion, he said.

The budget announced a 10pc increase in the pay and pension of the provincial government employees. The salary budget has been estimated at Rs257.691 billion and pension Rs173.809 billion.

Similarly, the posts of all schoolteachers would be upgraded with effect from Jan 1, 2018. The Rs9 billion scheme would benefitaround 300,000 teachers.

The budget documents announce the upgradation of the post of primary school teacher from BS-9 to 14 and elementary school teacher from BS-14 to 15 (those already in BS-15 would be upgraded to BS-16).

The EST already in BS-16 would be given an annual additional two increments. The same benefit would be given to all secondary schoolteachers. The honoraria for the teachers of non-formal basic education, is also being increased.

The budget announces Rs15,000 as the minimum monthly wages of workers. The monthly income of daily wagers would also be not less than that.

It has reduced the GST on construction services from the exist-ing 16pc to 5pc, also abolishing the registration fees of all new business firms.

The government promises to pay interest on another 50,000 cabs which it intends to give to the unemployed youth under the Orange Cab Scheme on easy installments. The cost of this project is Rs35 billion.

It also announces introduction of Metro Bus Service in Faisalabad and the Speedo Bus System in all big and medium cities in the province during 2017-18.

There is an increase of Rs350.816 billion in allocation for current revenue expenditure from 2014-15 to 2017-18. There is a substantial increase in allocations for education, health, law and order and subsidies for public sectordelivery.

A huge Rs90.64 billion have been earmarked for the construction, restoration, extension and renovation of the road network all over the province.

The Khadim-i-Punjab Kissan pacl(age is of Rs15 billion. This includes payment of sales tax at an estimated Rs6 billion on the electricity charges of agriculture tubewells. An amount of Rs1.66 billion has been earmarked for the provision of free of cost cattle to lowincome women.

For Prime Minister`s SDG (Sustainable Development Goals Programme) the allocation is of the same amount. The total outlay for agriculture and related sectors like irrigation, livestock, forests, fisheries and food is Rs140.50 billion.

For the special loan scheme under SME Credit Scheme, Rs3 billion have been allocated.

The allocation for the less developed districts under the Regional Development Programme is Rs5 billion. An amount of Rs1 billion has been allocated for the development of districts falling along the western route of the CPEC.

The proposed allocation for local governments is Rs361 billion and for service delivery Rs228.10 billion. An amount of Rs230 billion is for District Education Authorities and of Rs73.40 billion for District Health Authorities.

All DHQ and THQ hospitals will be modernised at a cost of Rs20 billion, providingthemwithmodernmachines, additional doctors, nurses besides outsourcing their janitorial and security services. Diagnostic services including CT Scan machines would be operated in league with the private sector.

The government plans to introduce another 100 mobile health units in the far-flung areas of south Punjab, also extending the Hepatitis Control Programme to all THQ, DHQ and teaching hospitals.

The overall allocation for the education sector is Rs345 billion which is 33pc higher than the funds allocated for the sector for the current fiscal year. The school educationdevelopment programme is of Rs53.36 billion.

There is an allocation of Rs5 billion for educational scholarships for deserving and talented students allowing them to pursue studies in highranking national or international educational institutions. The `Zeivar-iTaleem Programme` containing stipends for girl students of backward areas carries an allocation of Rs6.50 billion. An amount of Rs3.50 billion is for the provision of free textbooks to all students of government schools.

A sum of Rs100 million has been earmarked for the programme for science education, technology innovation in collaboration with Unesco.

An amount of Rs15 billion is for the improvement of public school infrastructure, construction of classrooms and provision of missing facilities. There is a plan to provide IT labs in 625 schools having highest enrolment, 5,000 additional classrooms in primary schools, reconstruction of 1,500 dangerous school buildings and buildings for shelterless schools.

This is in addition to the plan of opening 500 new schools under the Punjab Education Foundation, establishment of 50 degree colleges and launching of Khadim-i-Punjab Ujala Programme that aims at giving solar energy to 10,000 schools all over the province.

The allocated amount for the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority is Rs2 billion and Rs1 bil-lion for the development of model graveyardsinlarge cities.

An allocation of Rs41 billion has been made for the irrigation sector development which includes the construction of intake and allied structure on the River Ravi so as to augment and supply drinl(ing water to Lahore and construction of Kas Umar Khan, canal system, Papin Dam, Dadoacha Dam and Greater Thal Canal Project Phase-IL There is an allocation of Rs25 billionfor the provision ofclean drinking water under the `Khadim-iPunjab Saaf Pani Programme` There is a plan to launch a comprehensive rural sanitation and solid waste management programme at an estimated Rs15 billion.

The allocation for good governance initiatives and information technology is Rs53.5 billion, and for the provision of basic amenities in bacl(ward/lef tover areas of the province under the `Khadim-i-Punjab Local Development Programme` Rs45 billion have been proposed.

The budget document shows the $ 50 billion World Bank funded Punjab Cultural Heritage and Economic Growth Project under which religious site of the Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu communities would be preserved to promote cultural and religious tourism in the province. This allocation appears to be an attempt to please these minorities and also to attract foreign visitors.