LAHORE:The Punjab government on Wednesday announced to allocate a collective sum of Rs 485 billion for education sector for development and non-development programmes during the fiscal year 2022-23 which was 10 percent up from that the amount by previous government.
Addressing the budget speech, Provincial Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said that out of the total announced amount, Rs 428.5 billion had been allocated for non-development programme while Rs 56.7 billion for development programme.
Giving details, the minister said that out of the total amount, Rs 421.6 billion had been earmarked for the School Education department, Rs 59.7 billion for higher education, Rs 1.52 billion for special education and 3.59 had been allocated for literacy and non-formal education in the province.
He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government had always strive for betterment of the education sector as it believed that achieving high goals in the education was pivotal for the national progress. Various international institutions including The Economist had acknowledged the steps of the PML-N governments in this regard, he maintained.
The minister said that the government had allocated an amount of Rs 5.5 billion for providing scholarships to more than 0.6 million students across the province whereas funds amounting to Rs 3.2 billion had been set aside for provision of free books in the schools.
Under the Schools councils, he said, funds of Rs 14.9 billion had been allocated for improving educational facilities, while Rs 3.7 billion had been earmarked for ongoing educational expenditures of Daanish schools. He said that new Daanish schools would be established with funds of Rs 1.5 billion from earmarked sum of Rs 39 billion for Education department under annual development programme (ADP).
The minister said that funds of Rs 21.5 billion would be utilized under the Public Private Partnership for the Punjab Education Foundation, whereas Rs 4.8 billion had been set aside for Punjab Education Initiatives Management Authority.
For the restoration of dilapidated schools’ buildings, funds of Rs 1.2 billion had been earmarked along with allocation of Rs one billion for constructing additional rooms in various schools in the fiscal budget 2022-23, he said and added that these measures would ensure provision of standard educational facilities besides easy access to education for all.