Education Gets Rs 383 billion In Punjab Budget 2019-20

Arsalan Haider

The Punjab government has allocated a total amount of Rs 383 billion for various projects, departments and institutions of education sector in the Punjab Annual Budget 2019-20.

In the budget announced on Friday, it was learnt that of the Rs 383 billion, Rs 32 billion have been allocated for School Education, Rs 7.3 billion for higher education, Rs 1 billion for special education, while Rs 35 billion have been allocated for tertiary education. Besides, a sum of Rs 1.5 billion have been allocated to TEVTA and Rs 400 million for Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC).

In the Rs 32 billion-allocation for school education, Rs 1.5 billion have been earmarked for Danish School, Rs 19.5 billion for Punjab Education Foundation (PEF), Rs 5 billion for Punjab Education Initiative Management Authority (PEIMA), Rs 195 million for teachers’ training, Rs 50 million for Children Library Complex, Rs 255 million for provision of missing facilities in schools across Punjab, while Rs 10 million have been reserved for TVET curricular integration program.

The PTI-led Punjab government also allocated an amount of Rs 273 billion separately for District Education Authorities.

For higher education, the Punjab government allocated Rs 7.3 billion, of which Rs 1.75 billion would go towards provision of missing facilities in colleges, Rs 300 million for Punjab Education Endowment Fund (PEEF) and Rs 100 million would go to Punjab Higher Education Commission (PHEC).

Besides the budget, the Punjab government also announced establishment of four new universities in in Punjab. These would be University of Chakwal, University of Mianwali, Kohsar University of Murree and Thal University at Bhakar.

The government also allocated Rs 1 billion for special education, of which Rs 582 million have been allocated for ongoing schemes, while Rs 417 million would go to new schemes. Another Rs 2.6 billion have been allocated for Literacy and Non Formal Basic Education, among which Rs 1.8 billion would be used to fund ongoing schemes and Rs 800 million would be used for new schemes.