LAHORE: Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman has presented the budget for the next fiscal year worth Rs 5,335 billion.
The budget was approved by the provincial cabinet chaired by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz.
The Punjab Chief Minister and cabinet members are also present in the budget session of the Punjab Assembly, while opposition members of the assembly gathered in front of the speaker’s desk in protest.
According to documents received from the Punjab government, the salaries of government employees have been increased by 10 percent, and the pensions of retired employees have been increased by 5 percent.
In the new fiscal year’s budget, Rs 811.8 billion has been allocated for education, Rs 630.5 billion for health, while Rs 129.5 billion has been allocated for agriculture.
Sector-wise allocation
According to Punjab’s Finance Minister, the province’s 2025–2026 budget includes a total of Rs 148 billion for the education sector under the development category.
In addition to working on present programs, the administration intends to start new educational initiatives. A significant benefit for students is that Rs 15 billion has been set up for scholarships for exceptional students.
The development budget for the health sector has been allotted a total of Rs181 billion. Furthermore, Rs450 billion has been allocated for non-development costs, guaranteeing the seamless operation of healthcare services.
Rs109 billion have been proposed for land acquisition and establishment of the Nawaz Sharif Medical District. Rs9 billion allocated for the Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics Program.
Livestock farmers have been given simple loans to assist and grow their businesses through the Livestock Card project, which has a total value of Rs4.4 billion.
With a total budget of Rs 85.5 billion, the Punjab government has started the “Apna Ghar Apni Chhat” housing plan with the goal of giving low-income households access to inexpensive homes.
At a cost of Rs 17 billion, the Murree Development Programme is now underway, with an emphasis on enhancing the area’s tourist and municipal amenities.
With an expenditure of Rs 5.6 billion, the Safe City Project has been extended to 19 districts in order to improve surveillance and law enforcement capabilities.
Eco-friendly buses valued at Rs 46 billion are being purchased for many districts in an effort to promote environmental sustainability.
In order to promote Punjab as a center for technological growth, the budget includes Rs. 5 billion for the construction of CM IT Park, Rs. 175 million for AI and Emerging Technologies for Governance, and Rs. 180 million for the CM IT Internship Program.
The creation of the Climate Observatory in Punjab (costing Rs. 3 billion) and the Environment Protection Force in 10 Zones of Punjab (costing Rs. 1.94 billion) demonstrate a proactive attitude to environmental issues.
To ensure assistance for the most vulnerable members of society, the budget incorporates significant social safety net,s including the Maryam Nawaz Social Security Rashan Card (Rs. 40 billion) and the CM Himmat Card Program for Persons with Disabilities (Rs. 4 billion).
