The Punjab Assembly saved over 37.69 crore of its annual budget 2020-21 on the directives of Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Parvez Elahi, reported 24NewsHD TV channel Wednesday.

Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Parvez Elahi chaired a meeting of Punjab Assembly's Finance Committee here on Wednesday at Assembly Secretariat.

Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakhat, Finance Committee members Muzaffar Ali Shaikh, Shujahat Nawaz, Raees Nabeel Ahmad, Kashif Mahmood, Mian Shafi Muhammad, Mian Tariq Abdullah, Raja Yawar Kamal Khan and Secretary Punjab Assembly Muhammad Khan Bhatti attended the meeting.

Keeping in view the dangerous surge in third-wave Coronavirus and increasing cases in the educational institutions, Ch Parvez Elahi said that educational institutions and private educational academies should immediately be closed down.

“Coronavirus is spreading among children very speedily, in a recent survey it was noticed that ratio of death of children due to Corona has dangerously increased, if country's future has to be saved then we will have to save lives of our children and youth.”

The Speaker Punjab Assembly said that till the number of Coronavirus cases does not decrease, the schools, colleges and private academies be kept closed and such a monitoring system should be evolved which reviews the circumstances on daily basis, first, second and third waves of Corona have so far taken precious lives of the large number of professors, teachers, schools staff and children, presently examinations are being taken through online classes throughout the world, we should also adopt such strategy to save the future of our country.

The Finance Committee was informed that on special directions of Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Parvez Elahi, Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti has saved more than Rs 37.69 crore out of the annual budget of the financial year 2020-21, Rs 34.50 lakh have been saved on account of TA/DA and medical charges of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Rs 10.61 crore out of salaries and medical charges and allowances of the MPAs and saving of more than Rs 26.72 crore on account of the Assembly Secretariat operating expenses, salaries, allowances, electricity and gas bills, petrol has been effected.