MUZAFFARABAD: (Parliament Times) Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan says that state government through strict financial discipline and austerity measures not only achieved self sufficiency in financial matters but also share its part in development budget.
In a statement issued here on Friday, the Prime Minister said that it was for the first time in the history of Azad Kashmir that the revenue generated by the state used for the development activities and such austerity measures saved over two billion rupees.
While recalling the worst economic crisis in the beginning of his tenure, he said that government was even unable to refill the fuel of the vehicles. “I visited Lahore while borrowing from Zakkat profit fund”, the premier recalled.
Raja Farooq Haider further told that due to the financial crisis, the AJK government was not in a position to pay salaries to the employees. “The overdraft, which had crossed its limit now, is in surplus due to the effective financial discipline and austerity measures taken by the present government”, Haider added.
The Prime Minister, while mentioning the performance of his government both in infrastructure development and institutional reforms stated that 3374 Lady Health Workers (LHWs) were regularized, 1000 vacancies were created in Health Department besides regularizing 619 policemen who were hired on ad-hoc basis in Neelum Jehlum Hydro Power Project.
He added that allocation of special funds for Line of Control (LoC) affectees, launching free emergency medical services in 10 District Headquarter Hospitals, recruitment of over 6000 persons purely on merit through NTS, starting indiscriminate development process through Prime Minister Community Infrastructure Development Program (PMCIDP) and reconstituting the Public Service Commission, which later through a transparent manner recruited over 2000 competent youth for different government institution are few of the revolutionary steps taken by the present government in short three years time.
Terming finality of the prophet-hood law as the biggest achievement of his government, the Prime Minister claimed that PML-N has made record legislation in its short tenure. “Cabinet Development Committee (CDC), now can accord approval to the development projects of one billion rupees and similarly Development Working Party (DWP) can also approved the projects of 400 million rupees”, PM added