MUZAFFARABAD, Jun 29 (APP): The Finance Minister said that the Power sector would receive two billion rupees and more than two hundred electricity transformers would be installed while eighteen thousand new service connections would be given to the consumers and new grid stations would also be set up in different parts of the state to provide uninterrupted power supply to the people. He said that the government was giving special importance to utilize water resources to produce cheap electricity in the state.
He said to achieve this objective 23 hydel power projects have been completed and electricity of one billion rupees has been produced. He said that 800 million rupees would be spent during the next financial year to initiate work on new hydel power projects in different parts of Azad Kashmir.
Education sector will get 3 billion and 200 million rupees while the health sector will receive 1 billion and 750 million rupees during the next financial year. 200 Million rupees has been earmarked to control the corona pandemic in the state, he told.
He said 720 million rupees have been set aside for the completion of foreign aided projects and 400 million rupees for the tourism sector to boost the tourism activities in the state.
The Finance Minister said the social sector will receive 22 percent, the productive sector 10 percent and the infrastructure sector will get 68 percent financial resources during the next financial year. .
He said that the Physical Planning and Housing sector will get 4 billion and 800 million rupees while 1 billion and 700 million rupees have been earmarked for Local Government and Rural Development sector for the next financial year to complete the ongoing and new developmental projects to drop the fruits of development at the door steps of the common man.
The Finance Minister thanked the federal government for extending 28 billion rupees for the development of Azad Kashmir including the provision of two billion rupees foreign added projects despite financial crunch.
He said four billion rupees will also be extended by the Ministry of Kashmir affairs for the completion of ongoing development scheme launched to mitigate the suffering of the people of Indian forces firings.
The Finance Minister said that Muslim League government had fulfilled all its commitments and promises made with the people according to its manifesto and has presented continuously fifth people friendly development oriented budget. He said soon after taking the oath of the office of the Prime Minister, he unveiled the three fundamental objectives of his government to establish good governance, sustainable development and liberation of Occupied Kashmir.
He informed the House that liberation of Occupied Kashmir remained the top priority of our government and in this connection, the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir has effectively projected the Kashmir issue at international level and visited the European Parliament and different European countries to apprise the world community about the gruesome human rights violations being committed by Indian forces on Kashmiri civilian and presented the documentary evidence about the atrocities by Indian forces on innocent Kashmir people before the world community.
The Finance Minister paid glowing tributes to the Pakistan Armed forces for offering unprecedented sacrifices and defending the motherland at the Line of Control.
He also presented before the House the revised budget estimates for the current financial year.
The Speaker of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Shah Ghulam Qadir presided over the session.
Earlier the Azad Kashmir Cabinet at its special meeting here on Tuesday, approved the budget estimates for the next financial year. The Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan was in the Chair.
