Altaf Hamid Rao.
Muzaffarabad/ MIRPUR ( AJK ), (Parliament Times) : Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has said that within the resources available in the budget allocation of equal and fair distribution of funds was the government’s top priority to ensure uniform development in the region.The AJK prime minister said this while speaking at a consultation meeting with ministers and members of the legislative assembly at PM secretariat late night on Tuesday.Speaking on the occasion the PM assured all the ministers and members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) that within the resources available in the budget funds would be allocated equally. He said that discrimination in the allocation of funds won’t be tolerated.The Prime Minister directed that all the ministers and MLAs to fully participate in the budget session and play their positive role in the House in accordance with the democratic norms and traditions. He said that the opposition lawmakers should also attend the budget session and play their constitutional role effectively. “The people of Azad Kashmir had given a mandate to the members of the Assembly to sit inside the House and defend their rights”, the PM said.Underlining the opposition’s role in parliamentary democracy, the PM said, “Opposition and government are essential wheels of democracy”. He said, “The government not only holds the opposition in high esteem but also respects their mandate”. He said that opposition has been given appropriate rights in development and non-development funds.The Prime Minister, while interacting with the Ministers and Members of the Assembly, said that the despite difficult circumstances the government presented a people friendly budget. He said that efforts have been made to move the region towards self-reliance within its own resources.Regarding the non-development budget, the PM said that the revenue target has been increased to meet the budget expenditure. He said that the development budget provided by the federal government has been increased by Rs 2 billion.While reiterating his government’s commitment to achieve the revenue targets set for the next financial year, the PM said, “The PTI government will not only achieve the target of local revenue during the next financial year but will also succeed in solving the basic problems of the people through the completion of development projects”.