SUKKUR, June 18: District Nazim Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Saturday announced a surplus and tax-free budget for the district for 2005-2006. Convener Iqbal Dawood Pakwala presided over the session. The nazim said the estimated income of the district council during year 2005-2006 would be over Rs2.25 billion and its expenditures would be over Rs2.12 billion. He said no new tax had been proposed in the budget.

About the four-year performance of the district government, he said priority had been given to education and health sectors.

He said schools which earlier existed on papers only had now been made functional.

He said drainage and water supply systems of the Sukkur Civil Hospital had been improved and the OPD and other internal blocks of the hospital had been renovated. Besides, he added, six new wards – eye ward, ENT ward, orthopaedic ward, TB ward, psychiatry ward and skin ward – were being established at the hospital.

He said basic health units were being improved and maternity homes and dispensaries were being set up in the district.

He said cattle colonies were being established to shift cattle pens out of Sukkur and Rohri which would help keep the cities clean and ensure smooth flow of traffic.

He said drainage and water supply were the core issues. In this regard, he said, help of the federal government had been sought which had approved funds for the purpose.

TALUKA BUDGET: The 2005-2006 budget for the Sukkur Taluka Council was presented here on Friday.