HARIPUR: The district council approved the Rs7.135 billion budget for fiscal year 2019-20 here on Tuesday.

For the first time, funds will be distributed to all 65 councillors, including opposition’s members and women, equally.

The council met withconvener Agha Shabbir Ahmad Awan in the chair.

Some PTI members objected to the funds’ distribution, especially for development schemes of their colleagues elected on special seats, including women.

There followed a heated debate and a brief walkout.

Nazim Akhtar Nawaz Khan later announced equal distribution of funds to members, including the opposition’s members and those elected on special seats.

Every councillor will get Rs6.1 million for development schemes.

The nazim said he’d fulfilled his commitment of treating all councillors equally disregarding their party affiliations.

He said he belonged to the ruling PTI but he respected opposition members as well.

The nazim said he would ensure the disbursement of funds before the council’s dissolution on the completion of term on July 28.

Councillor Hina Khan, who was elected on a special seat, praised the nazim for treating all members of the house equally.

She said for the first time, women councillors were given equal funds.

The councillor said in the past, the schemes proposed by women councillors were deliberately dropped, while funds were distributed to male members of the house.

Minority member Dr Irfan Nasir also hailed the nazim’s announcement about the equal distribution of funds to councillors.

Opposition leader Sahibzada Hamid Shah of the PML-N and his party’s councillor, Haji Hayat Khan Tanoli, showered praise on the nazim.

The house also approved the Rs530 million revised non-developmental budget and Rs5.626 billion salary budget for financial year 2018-19. The chair later prorogued the sitting.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2019