ISLAMABAD, Jun 27 (APP): The National Assembly on Saturday approved a total of 23 demands for grants worth Rs. 248,269,842,000 for Interior Division, Industries and Production, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Secretariat, National Food Security and Research Division and National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Division.
Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar moved 10 demands for grants of Interior Division worth Rs. 172,479,640,000.
The cut motions were moved on eight demands for grants by the opposition lawmakers but all were rejected.
The House approved demands for grants worth Rs. 1,135,194,000 of Interior Division to meet expenditure during financial year ending on June 30, 2021; Rs. 5,854,041,000 in respect of other expenditure of Interior Division; Rs. 5,029,235,000 in respect of Miscellaneous Expenditure of Interior Division; Rs 9,933,189,000 in respect of Islamabad; Rs 2,964,943,000 in respect of passport organization; Rs 93,282,260,000 in respect of civil armed forces; Rs 11,311,962,000 for Frontier Constabulary; Rs 2,299,879,000 in respect of Pakistan Coast Guards; Rs 25,947,624,000 in respect of Pakistan Rangers; and 14,721,313,000 for development expenditures of Interior Division.
Parliamentary Secretary for Interior, Shaukat Ali responded to the queries raised by the opposition during their speeches on cut motions.
Moreover, the House also approved five demands for grants of Industries and FATF secretariat worth Rs. 11,215,460,000 by rejecting all cut motions on them.
The House approved demands for grant of worth Rs. 320,098,000 for Industries and Production division; Rs 952,354,000 in respect of other expenditure of industries and production division; Rs 9,058,905,000 in respect of miscellaneous expenditures of industries and production division; and Rs 800,000,000 in respect of capital outlay on industrial development.
The Lower House also approved demand for grant of worth Rs 84,103,000 for Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Secretariat. The House rejected all cut motions on aforementioned demands for grants.
Responding to the cut motions related to Industries and Production, Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar said that auto-mobile policy would be revised and all safety measures would be ensured in it.
He said ranking of Pakistan had improved in Ease of Doing Business while 14 out of 27 targets set for FATF had been met while action was underway on remaining 13 targets.
Hammad Azhar said Pakistan was put on grey list of FATF during previous tenure of PML-N, adding the proceedings of FATF were suspended for six months due to COVID-19 and every possible effort was underway to pursue all targets.
Four demands for grants of National Food Security and Research worth Rs. 24,879,742,000 were also approved by rejecting all cut motions on them.
Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhar Imam responded to cut motions submitted by the opposition legislators and informed the House that the government had decided to import the wheat to fulfill the need of the country.
Fakhar Imam said China had agreed to transfer of technology in the agriculture sector under the second phase of the China-Economic-Pakistan-Corridor.
He said research was also required to enhance per acre yield of wheat crop.
He said there was a chance that the country may not achieve set target of wheat. The minister said the government had approved the purchase of six aircraft to spray pesticides over affected areas as part of its anti-locust operation.
He said the federal government would spend Rs14 billion, along with the contribution of Rs 12 billion by the provincial governments, to counter the locust threat in the country.
In addition, the House approved four demands for grants of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Division worth Rs.39, 695,000,000 by rejecting all cut motions on them moved by the opposition lawmakers but all were rejected by the latter.
Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Nosheen Hamid responded to the queries raised by the opposition members.
APP/Desk/HB