SANGHAR, June 28: A budget of Rs1.95 billion for the fiscal year 2003-4 was presented in the district council here on Saturday by District Nazim Roshan Din Junejo and approved by a vote of simple majority by the members.

In his budget speech, Mr Junejo said that Rs240 million were earmarked for development schemes and Rs1.71 billion for non- development expenditure.

He said that Rs27.526 million were allocated for physical planning and housing, Rs35.773 million for road sector, Rs80.316 million for education, Rs11.179 million for health, Rs1.26 million for forest, Rs28.446 million block allocation was for old development schemes of 2002-3 and Rs55.5 million for new development schemes.

In the non-development component, the Nazim said, Rs1.372 billion were kept for salaries of the district and provincial governments’ employees and Rs337.6 million for other expenses.

To meet the budget requirements, he said, the district government would receive money from the government and would also generate income from its share of tax on immovable property, fees and rent, etc.

Initiating a debate on the budget, Faisal Wassan objected to the proposal of purchasing six vehicles for the officials of the education department.

Aziz Ghouri added that former prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo had ordered to purchase 800cc cars for army generals but the Nazim of the poor district was purchasing three 1000cc cars and three jeeps for education department officials, which would only be misused.

Syed Ehsan Ali Shah, Ms Talat Kabeer, Shahid Khan Thaheem, Dr Hashim, Dr Mohammad Sharif Leghari, Rana Shoukat, Pir Koral Shah and others also took part in the discussion.

Many speakers complained that they were not taken into confidence as far as budget was concerned.

However, the budget was passed by a simple majority vote.