LARKANA, June 20: Larkana District Nazim Khurshid Ahmad Junejo on Monday presented Rs2,348.556 million joint budget for Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts at a special session of the district council. He said the budget had been prepared on the basis of population of the two districts and as such Larkana would get 52 per cent (Rs1221.249 million) and Qambar-Shahdadkot 48 per cent (Rs1127.307 million) of the budget. He said no new tax had been imposed in the budget.

The nazim said 80 per cent of the budget had been allocated for completing ongoing development schemes and a small amount had been earmarked for undertaking new schemes.

Giving details of the special development programme, he said Rs629.260 million had been allocated under the Drought Emergency Relief Assistance programme for improving roads and providing water supply and health facilities in the two districts.

He said the education sector would be improved under the Rs52 million World Bank-funded Devolved Social Sector Programme.

In the health sector, he said, Rs32 million would be spent on upgrading health facilities.

The nazim said Rs68.658 million had been earmarked for the Education Sector Reforms Programme.

He said Rs196 million had been allocated for the Qambar-Shahdadkot district and Rs213 million for the Larkana district under the Public Sector Development Programme.

Mr Junejo said the Sindh government had allocated Rs5 million for establishment of a dental college in Larkana and the Larkana district government would provide Rs1 million in the current budget for the college. He requested the Sindh government to approve admission of 50 students to the college so that it could start functioning this year.

He announced that the Chandka Medical College would soon be given the status of a medical university.

Women members of the council, led by Apa Khurshid Talat Khatyan, protested against the Sindh government for giving honorarium only to Karachi councillors.

The council later unanimously passed the budget. Convener Nazeer Ahmad Bughio presided over the meeting.