Lahore: A Rs 5335 billion budget for the financial year 2025-26 was presented in the Punjab Assembly amid strong opposition protests. Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman announced while presenting the budget that the minimum wage in Punjab has been proposed to be increased from Rs 37,000 to Rs 40,000 per month, while a 10 percent increase in the salaries of government employees from Grade 1 to 22 and a 5 percent increase in the pension of retired employees has been proposed.
Opposition members continued to make noise and chant slogans in front of the speaker’s dais, but the finance minister continued his speech. He said that when the government took over, the system was paralyzed, but now the pace of development in Punjab has accelerated. He stressed that special attention is being paid to sectors like education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, and electric buses.
Rs 148 billion has been allocated for education and Rs 181 billion for health, which is an increase of 127 percent and 131 percent over the previous year, respectively. The development budget has also been increased by 47 percent. Rs 764.2 billion has been allocated for local governments, Rs 150 billion for waste management, and Rs 20 billion for municipal bodies.
A total of Rs 494 billion has been allocated for the social sector, while the scope of Maryam Nawaz Health Clinics will be expanded. Rs 15 billion has been allocated under the Honhar Scholarship Program and Rs 15.1 billion for the laptop scheme. Projects to increase agriculture and water resources are also part of the budget.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that this budget is based on zero tax, and every penny is a trust of the people. She called it a people-friendly and development budget in the 27th meeting of the provincial cabinet.
