TIMERGARA: Lower Dir district nazim Mohammad Rasool Khan presented here the other day Rs9.3 billion tax-free budget for the fiscal year 2019-20.

The budget session held at Balambat was chaired by convener Abdul Rashid. All male and female members of the council, heads of various government departments and finance officials attended the meeting.

In his budget speech, the nazim said Rs8.4 billion had been allocated for non-development expenditures, including Rs7.9 billion for payment of salaries of government employees and Rs499 million for non-salary expenditure like payment of utility bills, leave encashment and others.

Rasool Khan said Rs850 million had been set aside for development expenditures, including a grant of Rs20 million for the district council.

He said funds would be allocated for development after consensus and due consultation with all the members of the council.

Nazim Rasool Khan said 25 per cent of the funds for the year 2018-19 were not released to the district by the provincial government in the last quarter that pushed the council into financial crisis. He said Rs80 million would be spent on the ongoing development schemes.

The nazim said that a total of 256 schemes in education sector, 126 in health, 180 water supply, 419 roads, 28 street pavements, 49 in religious affairs and 141 women development sectors had been completed during the last four years.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2019