TIMERGARA, July 1: The Timergara Tehsil Council on Monday approved a Rs19.6 million budget for 2002-2003.

A meeting of the council, presided over by its convener Syed Musharraf Shah, was held at the Timergara Rest House here. Mr Shah presented the budget for the current fiscal year, which was approved by a majority of the councillors.

Tehsil councillors Sheikh Jehangir, Dr Assadullah, Hussain Ahmad, Mohammad Umer, Ghafoorul Haq and others opened discussion on the budget. The majority of the members, who are the Naib Nazimeen of union councils, termed the budget balanced. The opposition councillors, who declared that the budget was unrealistic and unbalanced, staged a walkout from the meeting.

Tehsil Nazim Sultanat Yar, while speaking at the meeting, said the provincial government would grant 30 per cent more funds to the council for development activities. He said that no scheme would be approved without the consent of the councillors.

The Tehsil Council is facing a resistance and protest from the transporters and local businessmen over the imposition of fresh taxes on the bus-stands and fairs.