MULTAN, June 30: The city tehsil council approved a tax-free budget of Rs547.993m on Monday for the financial year 2003-2004.

City Tehsil Nazim Mian Faisel Mukhtar presented the budget in the council meeting presided over by its convener and Naib Nazim Muzaffar Ahsan Qureshi. The house approved the budget after a little debate.

Of the estimated income during the fiscal, Rs234.4m is octroi grant; Rs120.9m to be collected through various taxes; Rs70.4m through various fees; Rs22.12m through rents; Rs 0.735m form sale; Rs40.256m through a government grant; Rs7m through other resources; Rs4m by selling municipal corporation property; Rs4m through surety bonds; Rs8.3m through recoverable dues of preceding years; and Rs 31.82m as carryover savings.

The major heads of the expenditures are: salaries Rs200m; contingency expenditures Rs75.06m; others Rs24m; group insurance Rs 4m; and development expenses Rs209m. The city TMA is expecting a saving of Rs34.03m at the end of the fiscal (2003-2004).