SWABI: The Swabi district government on Monday presented its first Rs347 million development budget for fiscal year 2015-16.

District nazim Ameer Rehman presented the budget in the district assembly. The three-day budget session is being chaired by naib nazim Asar Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rehman said the district government had presented its non-development budget soon after assuming power. He said the funds had been equally distributed among treasury and opposition members of the district council.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s prescribed rules and principles have been upheld in the budget making process,” he said. In the development budget, Rs87.4 million each have been set aside for education and communication, Rs43.8 million for health, Rs21.8 million each for agriculture, women welfare and youth and sports.

Besides, Rs63 million have been placed at the disposal of the district government as discretionary funds.

The district nazim said proposals of all the seven parties of the ruling Swabi Democratic Alliance had been considered in the budget.

POWER OUTAGES: The local traders on Monday lamented that they had been subjected to excessive loadshedding even in winter.

They were speaking at a meeting chaired by Mohammad Ali, president of Anjuman-i-Dokandaran.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ali threatened that the traders would come to the streets if the Pesco officials didn’t end the prolonged power outages.

They said during last two weeks, power supply was suspended from morning until evening, troubling the residents, particularly the business community.

BOY COMMITS SUICIDE: A boy committed suicide by shooting himself with a pistol in Charbagh village of Razaar tehsil, said police.

The cause of the incident was stated to be a domestic depute. The boy was identified as Sohail Khan.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2016