ISLAMABAD (APP): The National Assembly on Saturday approved 29 ‘Demands for Grants’ worth Rs 167,534,829,000 relating to different ministries, divisions and departments for the next fiscal year, rejecting all 397 ‘Cut Motions’ moved by the opposition parties to reduce developmental expenditures of various projects and schemes.
Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin moved the Demands for Grants one-by-one in the House, chaired by Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri who allowed maximum lawmakers from the opposition benches to argue in favour of their Cut Motions.
The House approved the demands after the debate, with the voice vote, that included Rs 277,000,000 and Rs 2,048,000,000 to meet expenditures of the Cabinet and the Cabinet Division respectively during the year ending on June 30, 2022.
Similarly, it passed Rs 387,000,000 for the Emergency Relief and Repatriation, Rs 8,034,000,000 for Intelligence Bureau, Rs10,818,000,000 for Atomic Energy, Rs 1,148,000,000 for Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Rs 30,720,000,000 for Naya Pakistan Housing Development Authority , Rs 401,000,000 for Prime Minister’s Office (Internal) and Rs 520,000,000 for Prime Minister Office (Public) on account of expenditures.
The lawmakers okayed demands of Rs643,000,000 for expenses of National Disaster Management Authority, Rs 367,000,000 for Board of Investment, Rs 60,000,000 for Prime Minister’s Inspection Commission, Rs 1,483,000,000 for Aviation Division, Rs 8,078,000,000 for Airports’ Security Force, Rs 5,500,000,000 for Establishment Division and Rs 884,000,000 for the Federal Public Service Commission.
The government also got approved grants of Rs 1,168,000,000 for National School of Public Policy, Rs 635,000,000 for Civil Service Academy, Rs 144,000,000 for National Security Division, Rs2,155,000,000 for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Rs 250,000,000,000 for Benazir Income Support Programme and Rs6,505,000,000 for Pakistan Bait-ul-Maal.
Besides, the National Assembly passed the grants of Rs 46,235,000,000 for development expenditures of Cabinet Division, Rs 3,558,201,000 for of Aviation Division, Rs 348,854,000 for Establishment Division, Rs 598,910,000 for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division, Rs 7,368,864,000 for Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Rs 27,000,000,000 for Capital Outlay on Development of Atomic Energy and Rs200,000,000 for Capital Outlay of Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority.
Speaking on the Cut Motions, Rana Tanveer Hussain of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) criticized the performance of various departments and regulatory authorities under the Cabinet Division. He said that OGRA, NEPRA, PEMRA, NAB and others had failed to deliver and serve the masses.
He alleged that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was being used to victimize the opponents while free hand was given to the government allies.
He suggested that the said institutions should be abolished as these were burden on the national kitty. Abdul Qadir Patel while taking part in the debate, said the government had no plan to give relief to the people. He said people involved in various scams had fled from the country.
Shahida Akhtar Ali of Muttahida Majlis e Amal Pakistan (MMAP) suggested the aviation division should be bifurcated in two parts. She said performance audit of all departments under Cabinet Division should be carried. She alleged that National Disaster Management Authority was reluctant for carrying out its audit.
Agha Hassan Baloch of Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) said his party always called for across the board accountability without any discrimination.
He said hundreds of thousands people on fake Balochistan domiciles had obtained jobs and the Cabinet Division had miserably failed to stop this practice.
Tahira Aurangzeb of PML-N claimed that unemployment had increased manifold in the country and no concrete steps were taken to address this grave issue.
Naz Baloch of PPPP said that the government had made tall claims to adopt austerity measures but it did not seem from the Cabinet size. She said every ministry had minister, state minister, advisors and special assistant resulting huge burden on the national exchequer.
She said NAB was being used for political engineering and arm twisting of the opposition members. She said production orders were not yet issued for the detained parliamentarians to represent the people of their constituencies in the budget.
Mohsin Dawar while taking part in the debate said that production orders for the detained members were not issued despite repeated requests. Winding up debate on cut motions, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan said he was expecting that the members would talk about their cut motions. However, they only taunted the government and used un-parliamentary language during their speeches.
Regarding austerity drive of the PM, he said that the parliament and PM House had been surrendering huge amount to the national kitty for the last three years by curtailing its expenditures. He went on to say that neither the PM had 10 camp offices and houses like the past rulers nor spent Rs 830 million on construction of wall around the PM house.
He said it was claimed that cabinet division, NAB, NDMA and Asset Recovery unit should be abolished. “These were cut motions or a request to seek NRO,” the advisor questioned. He said the government would not give grand NRO to anyone.
Regarding Asset Recovery Unit, Babar Awan said the head of the unit did not draw any salary. Over Rs 1000 billion recoveries were made from land and other mafias during the tenure of the incumbent government, he added. He said the world economy was gradually shrinking while Pakistan’s economy witnessed upward trend.
Babar Awan said the cabinet members, advisors and special assistants were as per the constitution and no new seat was created. He said efforts were being made to institutionalize all departments. Financial support was provided to the people of all four provinces under Ehsaas Programme which was purely non-political programme.
Dr Babar Awan said the Parliament passed Naya Pakistan Housing Authority Act for the first time in the country’s history. He said thousands of housing units were being constructed for the poor and middle class across the country under Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme- a flagship of the government.
Terming the opposition cut motions on pay and pensions double standard, the Advisor said that on one hand the opposition raised voice for enhancing salaries and pension of the employees while on the other hand submit cut motions.
