MALAKAND, June 28: Tehsil Council Batkhela on Wednesday approved Rs29 million surplus budget out of which Rs7.2 million were earmarked for development expenditure and Rs22 million for non-development expenses.

Convener Fazal Wahid presided over the budget session. TMO Dilawar Khan, Finance Officer Shaukat Ali Khan, Zahid Khan Bacha and other council members attended the session.

Tehsil Nazim Shahab Hussain expressed satisfaction over the approval of surplus budget without any new tax. He said the problem of clean drinking water had been resolved, adding that the tehsil council had increased its income up to Rs6.1 million.

Mr Hussain said development projects worth Rs36 million were in progress, and the provincial government had given a special grant of Rs3.3 million to help accelerate the pace of development.

He said that the district council had a deficit of Rs3.8 million in the previous budget where as Rs7 million had been saved in the current year. — APP