QUETTA: The adviser to Balochistan chief minister on finance, Mir Khalid Langove, presented a deficit budget for fiscal year 2015-16 in Balochistan Assembly, with an estimated total outlay of Rs243 billion.

Opposition political parties boycotted the budget session, terming it as 'anti-masses'.

Development expenditure announced by Balochistan government is Rs 54.505 billion rupees while the non-development budget has been set at Rs189.023 billion.

It was announced that 5,000 job vacancies will be created through different schemes by the government in the next fiscal year, while the salaries of government employees will be increased as per federal government.

The nationalists-led coalition government has given priority to education and health sectors. A total of Rs38bn has been allocated to the education sector whereas Rs15bn has been allocated to the health sector.

However, most of the funds allocated to education and health in the past have usually been spent on the salaries of teachers, doctors and para-medics rather than the development of these two sectors.

Despite the deficit budget, the volume of non-development expenditures has been increased by the provincial government.

Rs54bn has been allocated to the Public Sector Development Programme in the province, while Rs26bn has been set aside for the law and order situation in Balochistan which has been in the grip of violence for over 12 years now.

As opposition parties boycott what they term an 'anti-masses' budget, the Leader of the Opposition in the Balochistan Assembly Maulana Abdul Wasey while addressing an emergency press conference said, "Our voice is not being heard in assembly and therefore we have decided not to participate in the session".

Deputy Opposition Leader Zamarak Achakzai and other opposition members also stood by him on the occasion.

Wasey said the provincial government had failed to address the grievances of masses and include projects of public interests in the financial budget. "Rulers only gave priority to their constituencies", the opposition leader complained.