ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab said Tuesday the National Highway Authority (NHA) had collected Rs 17.208 billion toll tax during 2015-16 across the country.
Speaking during question hour in the Senate, the minister said the amount was collected from South and North regions of Punjab and Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said there were total 21 toll plazas in the province of Sindh, adding Frontier Works Organization (FWO) had been directed to remove toll plaza for Islamabad at Peshawar-Islamabad motorway.
Replying to another question, the minister said that the Kissan Package announced by the Prime Minister offered financial assistance of Rs. 5000 per acre for cotton and rice crop growers.
He said initially an amount of Rs. 20 billion for cotton and Rs. 20 billion for rice growers were allocated on the basis of 50:50 shares of federal and provincial governments.
However, he said only Punjab government implemented the said decision, adding so far, 1,066,262 beneficiaries of 33 districts of the province had been provided Rs. 23.332 billion. He said around 29,043 beneficiaries of 33 districts were still awaiting for assistance of Rs. 0.526 billion.
