KARACHI, June 12: The Sindh Assembly, which meets on Monday to start debate on the Sindh budget 2005-06, is likely to witness fireworks from opposition benches. Before the session it is expected that the House Business Committee would meet in the chamber of Speaker Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah to lay down lines for the day’s proceedings to carry on business forward without any hassle.

The budget of Rs143 billion, which was presented by Senior Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad on June 10, shows shortfall of Rs5.98 billion in the revenue expenditure and three billion rupees in capital account.

The parliamentary ruling coalition group and opposition parliamentary parties, the PPP and the MMA, have summoned meetings separately in their respective chambers on Monday morning to formulate their strategy for participation in the debate.

The opposition benches from their performance of the day when budget was laid before the House, appeared determined to target the government for failing to provide any relief to common man and for not specifying measures to check price hike and increasing poverty in Sindh.

Besides, allocation of Rs60 million to purchase an aircraft for the use of governor and chief minister the government would also be flayed for presentation of the budget without NFC award as this was the third budget presented devoid of NFC award.

The unfunded ADP to the tune of Rs24 billion and deficit of about Rs9 billion without indication of the sources to coup with the situation would be additional point to generate heat in the debate.

However, Senior Finance Minister Syed Sardar Ahmad said that the government had also tried to accommodate feasible budget proposals received from the opposition.