PESHAWAR: The Peshawar City District Government on Tuesday presented over Rs8.339 billion budget for the year 2009-10, showing a surplus of over Rs20.65 million.
Total expenditure, including development and non-development, has been estimated at Rs8.312 billion while the district revenue was forecast at Rs8.339 billion. The budget document showed that Rs4.742 billion had been allocated for overall development schemes in the district compared to Rs3.82 billion in the previous year.
Acting City District Nazim Muhammad Omer Khan presented the fifth and final budget of the current district council at the District Council hall. The federal government had recently announced that district nazims would be replaced soon by administrators across the country. Some of important projects targeted in the budget included improvement of schools condition for which Rs50.58 million has been earmarked.
For provision of better health facilities and medicines, Rs20.14 million has been allocated. Last year, the sum allocated for health was Rs40.66 million, showing Rs20 million less allocation for this important sector in the current fiscal. For providing clean drinking water to villages of the district, Rs10.1 million has been allocated; construction of a bus terminal Rs10 million; solid waste unit Rs10 million; fire brigade, sports, civil defence and natural calamities Rs10 million; Special Development Programme (through district nazim fund) Rs20 million and establishment of a Crisis Management Centre Rs10.2 million.
In the previous year’s budget, Rs20.32 million had been earmarked for establishment of the same centre. City District Nazim Muhammad Omer Khan, in his budget speech, dilated upon the development schemes that have been completed or on the verge of completion. He regretted that for district Peshawar the amount allocated in last year’s federal budget had not been released, nor had the district received any special grant from the federal government in the last four years.
Last year, the predecessor of Omer Khan also complained about the non-provision of funds allocated for the district in the federal government budget.
He appealed to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to announce a grant for the scheme of clean drinking water from Warsak Dam to Peshawar. Former district nazim Ghulam Ali, in his last year’s budget speech, had also appealed for the same but the federal government did not pay any heed to his requests. He informed the house that the provincial government had deducted Rs30.72 million as Town-I arrears, while Rs20.34 million had been deducted for the rent of Peshawar Bus terminal.
Omer Khan said the city district government had made a record increase of 41 per cent in their revenue. He told the council that fruitful talks were held with donors regarding various mega projects in the city, including fly-over, underpasses and clean water supply scheme.
“If the district government gets the required funds, work will start on the projects,” he said. Though the district government has presented a surplus budget, the sweepers, tube-well operators and other employees of Town-I always protested against delay in payment of their salaries. Later, the convener, Razaullah Khan, adjourned the council till Thursday.
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