NAWABSHAH, June 30: A tax-free budget of Rs1.43 billion was presented and approved for Nawabshah district by the District Council on Monday.

The budget session of the District Council was held under the chairmanship of the convener, Khalid Hussain Channa.

Presenting the budget before the session, the District Nazim, Faryal Talpur, said that Rs1.16 billion would be incurred as non-development including salaries and other expenditure, Rs204 million had been kept for development schemes for the financial year 2003-4, Rs731.43 million had been kept for education, Rs94.69 million for health, Rs9.13 million for community development, Rs35.93 million for agriculture and food, and Rs55.39 million for works.

She said that the education department would be given importance, new educational institutions would be constructed and computers would be provided to high schools and colleges.

She said that more dispensaries would be constructed and medicines would be provided to the patients.

Mrs Talpur told the session that Nawabshah was blessed with rich agricultural lands though presently it was facing a semi-drought situation due to the water shortage and poor condition of the banks of canals.

She said despite an abundance of resources, the people of the district were facing difficulties in getting jobs, availing proper health and education facilities and living in improper sanitary conditions without being provided drinking water.

The district Nazim said that due to these reasons the district government had focused on these issues to improve the overall social sector infrastructure.

Syed Munir Shah, Nazim Union Council Pir Zakri, while commenting on the budget said that union council Nazims were not taken into confidence while preparing the budget.

He said that even after the deteriorating condition of the vehicles of the education department, Rs1.4 million were kept for the POL of those vehicles which had even no tyres.

Later, the session approved the budget of financial year 2003-4 by a majority of votes.