Lawmakers for increase in govt employees’ salaries by 10-20 per cent

  Legislators from treasury and opposition benches in the National Assembly on Tuesday recommended the federal government to increase the salaries of government employees from 10 to 20 per cent in the budget for fiscal year 2021-22. Opening debate on the budget, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker, Rahat Amanullah Bhatti stressed the lawmakers to personally lead people welfare projects as this was our responsibility and people had a lot of expectation in our constituencies. He said that we parliamentarians always criticize the government departments but this was also our responsibility to initiate public welfare programs. Amanullah Bhatti briefed the House regarding a welfare project he initiated for the provision of clean drinking water in his constituency NA-119, Sheikhupura-I. He said that under the project clean drinking water was made available in 135 villages so far. Taking part in budget debate, Mutahida Majlis Amal (MMA) MNA Maulana Jamal ud Din demanded an allocation of funds for the victims of landmines in South Waziristan tribal district Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that more employment opportunities should be created for the youth of merged areas of erstwhile FATA, adding that the government had also promised induction of 20,000 police personnel in merged areas. He said that instead of fulfilling the promise, the Community Health Centres closed in South Waziristan. He also demanded that the government allocate a special financial package for the welfare of Waziristan people. He said that the federal government has also announced construction of 100 kilometre roads projects in his constituency but no work yet started on the projects. MNA Jamal ud Din proposed salaries of government employees should be increased by 20 per cent. Taking part in debate, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) MNA Ahsan Iqbal said that the government must go for realistic and achievable targets for sustainable development in the country. He also suggested the government increase the salaries of employees by 20 per cent. He also proposed to increase the higher education budget up to ten billion as compared to previous allocations. He also proposed continuing the current project of a police hospital in Islamabad. PTI MNA Major Tahir Saddique, taking part in the debate, said that Attock District was ignored in the federal budget allocations. He demanded that the government should allocate funds for his constituency. He also proposed to enhance the allocation for the agriculture sector and announce Kissan package for the farmer’s community to provide them relief. He demanded that action should be taken against the lawmakers who used non-parliamentary language during previous sessions. He said that treasury and opposition lawmakers were making lengthy speeches but there was a need for some practical work for the welfare of the poor people. Participating in the debate, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) MNA Shazia Atta Marri urged Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser to issue a production order of the arrested members, so that they can attend the budget session. Criticizing the budget, she said that the government should take more measures for the poor segment of the society and agriculture sector. The legislator said that the country needed agriculture development for achieving national food security, adding that the National Finance Commission Award (NFC) should be implemented in letter and spirit. She said the government should increase the employees up to 20 percent as 10 percent not enough in the current inflation ratio in the country. Shazia Marri said the government should take concrete measures to control load-shedding across the country without any discrimination. Participating in the budget debate, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, MNA Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan urged the government and opposition benches to join hands for further improving agriculture sector in the country. He said the government should enhance subsidies for the farmers community, adding that many other countries were offering maximum subsidies. Taking part in the budget debate, MNA Fazal Hussain called for unity among the treasury and opposition benches to resolve the problems being faced by the common man. He further stated that reforms were the need of the hour in all the institutions. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) MNA, Syed Mustafa Mahmud appreciated the government for lowering the export tariff on electric vehicles for providing vehicles to the people at economic rates. He said the foreign policy was interlinked with the domestic policy of the country and urged for the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) in letter and spirit. Participating in the debate, PTI MNA Sana Ullah Masti Khel praised the government for presenting pro-poor and people friendly budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said that the country was facing several challenges including Covid-19 pandemic and the twin deficits of trade and financial sides. He said that the government has initiated a number of programmes for the welfare of people in the country including Ehsaas Programme, Naya Pakistan Housing Programme and Kamyab Jawaan Programme. Sana Ullah said the government has announced interest free loans for the farmers which would help them stand their feet to promote the agriculture sector. He thanked Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar and Prime Minister Imran Khan for announcing Thal University which would provide an opportunity to local students to get higher education in their own division. A PTI lawmaker said that for the first time in history Prime Minister Imran Khan had given tough time to the mafia of sugar and wheat, while the previous governments of PPP and PML-N always backed these mafias. Muttahida Majis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMAP) Lawmaker Maulana Muhammad Anwar appreciated the paramedical staff across the country for rendering valuable services during Covid-19 crisis. He urged the government to provide clean drinking water for the people of his constituency and also improve road infrastructure in District Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Participating in the debate, PTI legislator Nafeesa Inyatullah Khattak said that in the upcoming budget the government has increased the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) from Rs 650 billion to Rs 900 billion for sustainable growth in the country. She said that “we are promoting ‘Knowledge Economy’ for introducing innovations in different sectors of the economy.” Nafeesa Khattak said that the government has initiated the huge financial cover through the ‘Ehsaas Programme’ for low income people in the country. She said that the government has also allocated more funds for the education and health sectors for investment in these two prime sectors. The lawmaker said that there was a need to bring reforms in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). She said more professionals should be hired in FIA to efficiently prevent money laundering adding that in future “We have to get rid of the Financial Action Task Force. Taking part in the debate, PML-N MNA, Chaudhry Iftikhar Nazir stressed for joint efforts to bring reforms in the agriculture sector. He said the government and opposition should shun the politics of blame and work for the betterment of the downtrodden segment of the society. Participating in the debate, PTI legislator, Saif ur Rehman said that the present government had presented a balanced budget which would benefit all the sectors including agriculture, poverty, trade and business. He criticized the PPP Sindh government for failing to provide basic facilities to the people of the province.