Former Finance Minister and PPP MPA Tanvir Ashraf Kaira has claimed that Punjab is facing a default of over Rs 520 billions due to the wrong policies of the provincial government.
Flanked by former Punjab minister Ashraf Sohna, Tanvir Kaira said that, in the development budget of Rs 193 billions, Rs 96b had gone into corruption in form of commissions. The Ashiana Scheme would also be exposed soon, he added.
Kaira said when the PML-N government came to power in 2008, an amount of Rs 7.2b was present in the exchequer but, unfortunately, in merely one year, the province was facing a deficit of Rs 42 billion. He said the Punjab government was busy in buying new and expensive cars. Old cars were being auctioned merely for political point-scoring, he alleged, adding that public money was spent on buying loyalties. Under Sasti Roti Scheme, favoritism was promoted and quota was allotted to the floor mills owners belonging to the PML-N.
Similarly, he said, the Punjab government had also failed to collect tax and was unable to achieve its target. He said, in 2008-9, a target of Rs 42 b was set but the government could manage only Rs 28b in 2009-10. A target of Rs 50b was set but it could gather only Rs 36b, he added.
Tanvir stated that the PML-N government remained busy in forming the forward blocs and no heed was paid to address the grievances of people. To a question, he said the chief minister of Punjab in a cabinet meeting had admitted that 50 per cent of the development budget was spent on commissions. To another query, Kaira said that one-man show was going on in the province.
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