Punjab to Present Rs 5.13 Trillion Budget; Major Allocations for Education, Health and Social Welfare

Lahore: The Punjab government will present a Rs 5,131 billion budget tomorrow, with total expenditures estimated at Rs 3,569.6 billion.

According to budget details, Rs 650 billion has been proposed for salaries, while Rs 505.8 billion is allocated for pensions. Pay raises for government employees will follow the federal government’s decision. Operational expenditures are estimated at Rs 580.2 billion.

For social welfare initiatives, Rs 25 billion has been proposed, while the “Suthra Punjab” program is allocated Rs 150 billion. Other development and capital expenditures are estimated at Rs 570 billion, and Rs 221.9 billion is recommended for various investment programs.

Health has been allocated a total estimated budget of Rs 680 billion, including Rs 100 billion for free medicines. Education is set to receive more than Rs 900 billion, making it one of the largest spending sectors in the proposed budget.

The budget also includes major student-focused initiatives such as laptop distribution, electric scooters, bicycles, and the Honhaar Scholarship Program, for which over Rs 20 billion has been allocated. University grants are estimated at Rs 18 billion.

Other proposed measures include Rs 7 billion for the “Parwaz Card,” Rs 35 billion for Ramadan relief packages, and over Rs 80 billion in subsidies. The Kisan Card scheme has been allocated Rs 10 billion, while Rs 3 billion has been earmarked for Himmat Card and Minority Card programs.