HYDERABAD, Feb 7: The Hyderabad district council on Tuesday passed budgetary proposals for 2005-06 for effective measures to restore the glory of the ancient city.

The council recommended to the district government that all offices should submit their demand for additional funds and surrender surplus budget to the EDO finance by March 31 and that the district government should present details of re-appropriation of funds by first week of April.

The members were critical of absence of officers of the district government despite Monday’s directive by chair that all EDOs and the SP city should attend council session.

The council concluded three hour debate on the second consecutive day before according approval to budgetary proposals presented by the district nazim on February 2. Except the chairman finance and planning of the council, none of the members presented cut motions.

Convenor Zafar Rajput offered opportunity to several members to deliver speeches on budget for second time.

Q. Mohammad Hakim summed-up the debate while presenting report of finance and planning committee, containing nine cut motions involving an amount of Rs1.1 million.

He proposed that all group of offices of district government should submit their demand of additional funds and surrender surplus budget before EDO finance by March 31 and district government should present details of re-appropriation of funds by first week of April before the council.

He suggested that in the next budget, details of the ADP schemes should also be attached to budget and procedure of utilisation of funds meant for reserved seat, emergency, needy persons should be got approved from the house.

The provincial and federal governments should convert funds of packages into grant.

The cut motions reduced amount for purchase of furniture and fixtures for the district council secretariat from Rs1 million to Rs 0.5 million, budget for purchase of machinery/equipment was reduced to Rs50,000 from Rs100,000; POL was increased from Rs200,000 to Rs400,000; stationery purchase was increased to Rs300,000 from Rs150,000; publicity/advertisement expenses were reduced to Rs50,000 from Rs100,00; daily allowance of councillors was curtailed to Rs2.5 million from Rs3 million; honorarium’s allocation for reserved seats was fixed at Rs625,000; Rs100,000 for scholarship and bonuses and Rs25,000 for plants/machinery.

Initiating debate on second day Rashid Khan sad that huge volume of expenses were earmarked in salary component saying that required staff was not available and added that either vacancies should be filled or competent persons should be hired if needed to utilise this amount.

“A scheme to be executed within next four years should be introduced.

I offer Rs50,000 from my UC’s budget for improvement of Rani Bagh”, he said while emphasising for quality of work in construction instead of quantity.

Dr Arif Razmi spoke of historic and ancient background of the city and said that no allocations were made for identities of Hyderabad including Pucca Qilla, Kacha Qilla and tombs of Mirs.

“All these are historic locations and need sufficient allocations. Nobody is bothered about what our city demands from us while every one is talking about his UC”, Razmi said while taking notice of absence of district government officials.

He said that it was a big question if the officials are not giving importance to this august house.

Rana Rashid said civic and development conditions in health and education sectors in his UC-16 were poor.

He said that there was no dispensary in the UC and that funds had been given to the Taluka Municipal Administration while the TMA told UC Nazims to execute works from their own funds.

He said that it would have been better had nazims been consulted for development works.

Nasir Baloch said that animal husbandry was to be converted into a family park but work had not been started on it as yet.

He said that corruption needed to be rooted out in order to control deficit of various departments and it would enable district to always prepare surplus budgets.

Badar Memon claimed that the rural taluka had been neglected and district government must pay due attention to it.

He said that the taluka should be given equal priority like other urban parts of the district to create a sense of brotherhood between people.