ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The National Assembly approved the demands for grants submitted by various ministries and divisions through a majority vote paving the way for the allocation of funds under the federal budget.
The National Assembly session commenced under the chairmanship of Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, during which Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the demands for grants.
The House approved a grant of Rs22 billion for atomic energy, Rs140 million for the New Pakistan Housing Development Authority, Rs2.35 billion for the Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, Rs350 million for the communications sector, and another grant exceeding Rs36 billion for communications-related expenditures.
Lawmakers also approved Rs25 billion for the Pakistan Post Office Department, Rs17 billion for defence-related expenditures, Rs3.89 billion for the Climate Change Division, Rs68.17 billion for the Foreign Affairs Division, Rs22.31 billion for the Housing and Works Division, and more than Rs2.33 billion for the Human Rights Division.
The assembly further approved two demands for grants totaling more than Rs27.99 billion for the Commerce Division, five grants worth over Rs125 billion for the Communications Division, five grants exceeding Rs30.67 trillion for the Defence and Defence Division, and two grants worth more than Rs2.11 billion for the Defence Production Division.
In addition, two grants totaling over Rs15.01 billion were approved for the Economic Affairs Division, nine grants worth more than Rs121.26 billion for the Federal Education and Professional Training Division, three grants exceeding Rs27.57 billion for the Information and Broadcasting Division, and two grants totaling more than Rs42.07 billion for the Ministry of Information Technology.
The House also approved two grants worth over Rs45.04 billion for the Interior Division and its attached departments, two grants exceeding Rs5.02 billion for the Inter-Provincial Coordination Division, two grants totaling more than Rs3.18 billion for the Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Division, and seven grants worth over Rs24.91 billion for the Law and Justice Division.
Furthermore, two grants exceeding Rs4.12 billion were approved for the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, one grant worth more than Rs9.03 billion for the National Assembly, one grant exceeding Rs3.21 billion for the Senate of Pakistan, two grants totaling more than Rs53.28 billion for the Ministry of National Health Services, one grant worth over Rs1.20 billion for the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, and two grants exceeding Rs37.21 billion for the Planning Division.
The National Assembly also approved two demands for grants worth more than Rs1.74 billion for the Privatisation Division.