ATTOCK, June 29: The District Council here unanimously approved a Rs1.435 billion budget for the year 2003-2004.

An allocation of Rs940 million has been made for non-development expenditures and Rs495 million has also been fixed for development expenditures.

Out of the total outlay Rs104 million has been earmarked for construction of road and buildings, Rs46 million for Dera programme, Rs45.5 million for education Rs10 million for health, Rs15 million for water supply, Rs8 million for social welfare and Rs1 million for information technology.

The District Nazim, Attock, Maj Tahir Sadik Khan (retired) presented the budget while convener Raja Sadiqque presided over the special budget session, which was held at municipal hall here on Saturday.

The District Nazim, during his budget speech, said that major portion of the development budget would be spent on education, health, provision of electricity and water. He said that 15 per cent increase had been made in the salaries of the employees of district government.

On this account the district government will bear an extra expenditure of Rs45.50 million.

He said for the first time Rs2.60 million had been allocated under a special package for teachers and Rs0.5 million for welfare of prisons while the scholarship funds for talented students and girls nursing student had been enhanced to Rs3.50 million and Rs4.33 million, respectively.

He said a shopping plaza would be constructed at Rahess Khana and after its completion the district government will receive Rs10 million revenue.

Many other revenue resources would be generated to enhance the income of district government, he added.

He said that ownership rights would be given to the residents of kutchi abadis of Tehsil Hassanabdal while gas connections will be provided to every village, situated within the radius of 5km of oilfields of the district, under which about 52 villages would be benefited.

He said that during next year 480 lady health visitors and 20 lady health supervisors would be recruited besides constructing the ITC and CCU blocks at the district headquarter hospital.

Similarly a cadet college at Khor and a public school at the district headquarter have also been approved while 105 schools have been upgraded, 5 new colleges were set up and poly technique institute was also completed in the previous tenure of district government, he added.