LAHORE, June 30: The Punjab Assembly passed an unprecedentedly high supplementary budget of over Rs36 billion at a session here on Wednesday. Only two cut motions, moved by the opposition against grants for irrigation , and communication and works departments, came under discussion. Both of those were rejected.

During the discussion on cut motions, the opposition chose to take up the whole sectors and the ministers concerned could hardly satisfy them. The budget included a huge amount of Rs12.34 billion, which the government spent on the purchase of food grain and sugar to keep market prices (of these products) stabilized.

It also included Rs8.62 billion development expenditure and Rs4.24 billion to be spent under the miscellaneous head. The share of relief fund cost was Rs2.15 billion while police received Rs3.06 billion, C&W Rs2.78 billion and irrigation Rs1.31 billion.

The opposition grilled the treasury benches for miscalculation about its expenditure. "The supplementary budgets are meant to cover expenditure for contingencies and natural calamities. But these cannot be used to cover luxuries like cars and house furnishing as has been the case with the present supplementary allocations," it said.