June 28, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1429

LAHORE, June 27: Finance Minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira assured the house on Friday that audit would be conducted to “unearth financial irregularities” of the previous government.

In his wind-up speech, the minister said a special audit was already being conducted in districts and those who had looted the public exchequer, would not be spared.

Kaira said in future the government would ensure holding of pre-budget session so as to accommodate suggestions of the members in the budget.

Opening debate in the house, Sardar Shadaab Rasool observed that past government's wrong policies had created various crises in the province that is why the opposition was hesitant in joining the house proceedings.

Drawing the attention of the house towards massive fiscal irregularities in Bahawalnagar in the last government, Asif Manzoor Mohal demanded action against the district nazim, other officers as well as former chief minister and his cabinet.

Azma Zahid Bokhari criticised the additional expenditures under various heads in the police department as well as huge miscellaneous expenditures presented in the supplementary budget for year 2007-08.

Chaudhry Shaukat Mahmood Basra criticised the performance of the previous government, citing that its efficiency could be well judged from the fact that it presented a huge supplementary budget of Rs44 billion.

SUPPORT PRICES: MPA Chaudhry Shaukat Mahmood Basra asked the government to fix the support prices for 40 kgs of wheat at Rs1,000, of cotton at Rs2,500, rice Rs1,300 and of sugar cane at Rs100.