SARGODHA, June 23: District Nazim Malik Amjad Ali Noon has presented a Rs2.72 billion district council budget for the year 2005-06. District Naib Nazim Chaudhry Hamid Salim Warraich presided the meeting. Out of the total budget amount, only Rs262.46 million have been allocated for development and Rs2.42 billion for non-development expenditures.

Speaking on the occasion, the district nazim said the district government had received Rs2.68 billion interim award for the next fiscal year from the provincial finance commission.

The district nazim said that Rs1.63 billion had been earmarked for the education sector, Rs376.66 million for the health sector, Rs27.744 million for the revenue sector and Rs59.542 for the district government.

He said Rs48.921 million had been set aside for the agriculture department, Rs85.246 million for the communication department, Rs31.05 million for the livestock department, Rs11.276 million for the cooperative department, Rs3.363 million for the excise and taxation department, Rs2.4 million for the forest department, Rs0.853 million for the fisheries department and Rs2.348 million for the civil defence department.

The District Nazim said that s[special focus during his fours years was on promotion of education and improvement of standard and also added that thousands of various schemes were completed in his tenure. He said that Community development department has registered 410 CC boards and approved 28 schemes for which funds of worth 34.3 million rupees has been allocated. He said that District Government has to spend huge amount of 2.5 billion rupees annually and at least 200 million rupees per month hence the development funds could not be raised however he said 415 development schemes were in offing upon the recommendations of members of of the district assembly.

The nazim while giving the details said that though the budget allocation has been made for all sectors but no development funds will be issued till the next elected district Government therefore no development scheme has been included in the fresh budget.