PESHAWAR, July 11: District governments in the province are likely to face difficulties in implementing their respective budget plans during the financial year 2003-04 because of discrepancy in provincial government’s budget documents, sources said.

Funds specified for the district governments on account of salary of their staff under the annual budget statement of the NWFP government for the 2003-04 financial year are different to figures reflected under the same head in the document of the provincial finance commission (PFC) award.

As per annual budget statement the provincial government would provide Rs130,46.9 million to district governments to pay salary to their staff during the 2003-04 financial year, whereas as per the PFC award the province would provide Rs130,50.3 million to district governments for the same purpose.

The difference between the two figures is Rs3.4 million.

“Though the difference happens to be small, it would certainly cause problems to some of the district governments in the months to come,” said a senior functionary of the provincial government.

Sources told Dawn that it was not clear as to which one of the two figures was correct.

Experts are of the view that the provincial government would have to take appropriate measures to rectify the situation and remove the anomaly to save district governments from facing difficulties.

Error on the part of the finance managers has been put down to the lack of coordination among different units and sections of finance department of the NWFP.

Sources said that authorities concerned would now need to verify actual figures to know the exact amount the province would distribute among the district governments.

If the anomaly was not removed, district governments would have to take up the issue with the province which might add to the already tense working relationship between the provincial government and district governments, sources said.