Lahore: In view of the going COVID-19 pandemic, the Punjab government has decided to transfer the funds previously allocated for 107 projects — being developed by 28 authorities — to the province’s primary and specialised health departments, a news source reported.
As a result, the province’s development budget has been
slashed from PKR 308 billion, to PKR 302 billion. The largest chunk of these
funds came from the Punjab’s Aab-e-Pak Authority’s budget — nearly PKR 1.21
billion. The PKR 280 million funds set aside for the purchase of land for the Naya
Pakistan Housing Programme in some areas of the province have also been
transferred to the health department.
In addition, the government’s earlier plan to develop 8 new shelter homes near the hospitals of Lahore has now been temporarily deferred; with the funds to now be transferred to the health department.
Similarly, some of the funds — nearly 320 million — dedicated
for the construction of the Lahore Ring Road Southern Loop will also be
transferred to the health department.
