The Punjab government on Monday approved the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2021-22 today with an estimated total budget outlay of Rs2.653 trillion, including an Annual Development Programme (ADP) worth Rs560 billion.

The budget session was the first one in the newly-constructed building of the Punjab Assembly. The total outlay of the budget has increased by more than 18% and the development budget has gained 66% compared with the current fiscal year.

The Punjab Cabinet also approved the much-anticipated 10% increase in salaries and pension of provincial employees and also green-lighted the decision to increase the minimum wage of workers from Rs17,500 to Rs20,000.

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The Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar said that the budget is not a “magic of statistics” but is a document based on development.

Taking a jibe at the Opposition, Buzdar said: “The job of the incompetent and failed Opposition is just to make noise. Criticising the government’s positive policies only for the sake of criticising make them look bad.”

In the cabinet meeting, the Board of Revenue proposed to increase the agricultural tax. However, CM Buzdar and the Punjab Cabinet unanimously rejected the suggestion.

“The proposed budget has measures to give relief to the common man,” CM Buzdar. “All targets are realistic and all priorities have been set in accordance with the needs of the masses.”