PESHAWAR, July 11: The city district council approved Rs4.16 billion revenue receipt budget for district Peshawar for the year 2003-04 here on Friday.

Only two members of the district council Miss Shazia Tehmas and Hafizullah Khan voted against the budget, out of 49 Nazims and councillors who were present during the proceedings. Convener Dr Iqbal Khalil presided over the session.

The two members who opposed the budget said that the estimates for the current fiscal were not realistic and development sector had been ignored.

Concluding the discussion on the budget district Nazim Azam Afridi dispelled the impression that the allocations had been made on political grounds. He said that Town-I was paying major amount to Wapda therefore the district government had to increase its share in the budget.

He said that the district government estimated an income of Rs1.2 million from toll tax, but provincial government did not allow district government to collect toll tax. Now the government had estimated Rs1.5m income, he added.

He said the building rent was one of the main sources of the district government revenue but the auction of commercial building at Hayatabad township affected the income. He said that with the approval of the governor the City Development and Management Department (CD&MD) sold a block of Project Management Unit to National Accountability Bureau.

Mr Afridi said that district government could not auction plots in Regi township last year due to delay in draw which affected revenue estimates. The government had planned to sell plots in the township during current year and expected Rs15m revenue.

Regarding the demands of Nazims of two union councils from Hayatabad township, he said that the CDMD had already approved to construct sewerage treatment plant in the township. He further said that funds for the installation of tube-wells and water-pump had been sanctioned.

Earlier, majority of the members criticized the district government for allocating Rs20m to Town-I in the budget.

They said that the government should equally distribute funds among all union councils of the district.