Balochistan Budget 2024-25: Major salary increase for govt employees; Details inside

QUETTA: Balochistan’s budget promises relief for government employees as salaries are expected to increase by up to 25 percent.

A salary hike of 25 per cent was proposed for Grade 1 to 16 and 20 per cent for Grade 17 to 22 employees.

Balochistan government presented the budget for the financial year 2024-25. Provincial Finance Minister Mir Shoaib Nausherwani unveiled the budget.

Earlier, a provincial cabinet meeting was held in the provincial capital, Quetta. The provincial budget is estimated at 850 billion rupees, which includes a non-developmental budget of 600 billion rupees and a proposed development budget of 250 billion rupees.

Balochistan Budget 2024-25

Larger allocations are planned for the health and education sectors, with Rs 67 billion earmarked for health initiatives and a possible Rs 120 billion for education reforms. Additionally, Rs 70 billion is expected to be allocated for peace and security initiatives, which focus on maintaining stability and enhancing security in the province.

In the budget of Balochistan, 2 billion rupees for Benazir scholarship program and 5 billion rupees in grants for universities are expected.

647 billion is expected under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, which is a major source of revenue for the province. Additionally, Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) is expected to contribute Rs 60 billion to Balochistan, which will support local development initiatives. The budget approval process will involve discussions and deliberations between government and opposition members to ensure comprehensive consideration of all proposals and priorities.