OKARA: Annual budget of the district council (DC) for year 2017-18 was approved in a session presided over by Vice Chairman Rao Saad Ajmal Khan including a development budget of Rs351 million.

The budget was presented by Chairman Malik Ali Qadir. The expected income of the DC was estimated at Rs550.34 million while the expected expenditures were Rs450m, including salaries, maintenance and repairs of roads, buildings, district council complex as well as other buildings under the DC.

The budget was approved without a debate as the majority in the DC is backed by the PML-N with 140 out of the total 165 members.

Opposition member Nawab Ali Kals demanded Chairman Qadir open the house for debate, but his request was not heeded. Similarly, opposition members demanded funds equal to those allotted to treasury benches for their union councils, but the chairman said this would be considered accordingly after consultation.

Interestingly, a few months ago, in the first meeting of the DC held to approve the half-year budget, funds had been allocated for furniture and computers for all offices of the council, including chairman, offices of each of the two vice chairmen, chief officer, district officer finance, district officer regulation, district officer planning, district officer infrastructure and services.

In the annual budget, these funds were allocated again for all the offices.

ARREST: City B division police with the help of a passerby arrested two suspected robbers who were trying to flee after injuring a mechanic when they failed to snatch his motorcycle.

Two armed men attempted to snatch the motorcycle of mechanic Ali Akbar at gunpoint on Thursday night on Railway Road. But when they attempted to make off with it, it developed a fault and would not start.

Akbar then tried to get his bike back at which the suspects shot at and injured him, and tried to escape. Meanwhile, police reached the spot and arrested the suspects with the help of a passerby.

It was later found out that both the suspects had also looted jewellery and cash worth Rs150,000 from a house on the same road adjacent to Bajwa Colony.

City B division police registered a case.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2017