GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan’s budget for fiscal year 2020-21 with an outlay of over Rs68 billion was presented during a session of the GB Assembly on Friday.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Aurangzeb Khan presented the budget proposals.

He announced 15 per cent increase in the salary of government employees in grade 1 to 16 and 10pc in grade 17 and above.

According to the budget proposals, Rs6bn has been allocated for subsidy on wheat and Rs1.8bn for transportation.

This was the last budget of the present GB government as its tenure is going to complete on June 24.

The GB Assembly’s budget session was scheduled for Thursday, but due to demise of minister Haji Janbaz Khan the session had been postponed for Friday.

Government employees’ salaries increased; Rs6bn allocated for subsidy on wheat

Members of the assembly both from opposition and treasury benches — including opposition leader Mohammad Shafi Khan, members belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Jaffarullah Khan, Barkat Jamil and Mohammad Amin, Engineer Mohammad Ismail and Javed Hussain of the Pakistan Peoples Party, and Rizwan Ali of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen — during their speeches paid tribute to Haji Janbaz for his political and social work for the area and political struggle. They termed his death an irreparable loss for the region.

They said Haji Janbaz was a veteran politician of the region and his services would always be remembered. They said that as an opposition leader, adviser and minister he played an imp­ortant role in development of the region. They prayed for the departed soul and offered condolence to his family.

Haji Janbaz was the first GB Assembly member who lost his life to coronavirus.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2020