KARACHI, June 19: The five-day general discussion on Sindh budget-2006-07 got underway when the Sindh Assembly resumed its current session on Monday. A number of members from treasury and opposition benches took part in the discussion.

Initiating the discussion, opposition MPA Dr Sikandar Mandhro regretted that while preparing the budget, opinion of public representatives had not been sought.

He attributed the law and order problem in the province to poverty. He also stressed on creating awareness in people about prevention and control of diseases. For this purpose, legislation on community health should be done, he added.

Minister Irfan Gul Magsi congratulated Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, Adviser on Finance M. A. Jalil and other officials for presenting a people-friendly budget. He claimed that for the first time in 20 years, a surplus budget had been given to Sindh and a record amount of Rs50 billion allocated, Rs32 billion of which to be spent out of the provincial fund.

He said the budget provided for incentives to doctors and paramedical staff of the Basic Health Centres and accorded priority to maternal health.

Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro termed it ‘a balanced budget’, and said that the government had accorded priority to education, for which Rs12.5 billion had been earmarked and this was a ‘historic initiative’.

This year, she noted, around 0.3 million girl students would get stipend of Rs2,000 while free textbooks would be provided to students of class-I to X.

She also appreciated grant of an allowance to teachers serving in rural areas on the basis of their performance.

Abdul Rehman Rajput of MMA, Naila Inam of PML, Zahid Bhurgari of PPP, and Idrees Siddiqui and Talib Imam also took part in the debate.

The assembly will now meet on Tuesday at 9:30am.—APP/PPI