KARACHI, June 27: A heated debate took place in the City District Council session on Tuesday when the house continued debate on the city government’s budget for 2006-07 on the second consecutive day.

The session was presided over by Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil and the debate was initiated by the leader of the house, Asif Siddiqui.

Mr Siddiqui rejected the claims of the opposition regarding the budget, and termed it an ideal development oriented and historic budget for Karachi city.

Maintaining that for the first time huge funds have been allocated for education and health, he said Rs10 billion have been earmarked for education which is a 23 per cent of the total budget and Rs3.37 for health which is eight per cent of the total budget.

In education sector, he said that the CDGK plans to construct a cadet college in Karachi. In addition to this, arrangements would be made to establish 36 models in 18 towns of the city, including Lyari, Gadap, Bin Qasim and Keamari.

Mr Siddiqui further stated that the City Government was keen to develop rural areas and for this purpose an allocation of Rs200 million have been made for the development of infrastructure facilities in villages. Similarly, he argued that salaries of employees of the defunct KMC have been raised, thereby meeting their longstanding demand and now they would be provided facilities at par with KDA employees.

At the same time, he said salaries of kundimen have also been enhanced and medical facilities will be provided to defunct KMC and DMC employees. Apart from this, the house leader said Rs9.55 million were being provided to 178 union councils which is a record amount.

More importantly, he pointed out that a modern IT tower would be built in the city with the cooperation of foreign investors.

Mr Siddiqui criticised the opposition leader, Saeed Ghani, for taking political mileage in his budget speech by attacking the City Nazim on Monday, saying Mr Ghani had behaved as if he was the information secretary of the Pakistan People’s Party.

His remarks provoked the other opposition members who stood up in support of their colleague. Some of the treasury members also stood up and started shouting and raised slogans.

However, Nasreen Jalil intervened timely and said that members are not allowed to raise political slogans in the house, saying such slogans could only be raised outside the house. She left the house when Mr Siddique wounded up his speech. In her absence, Mr Masood Mehmood presided over the session.

Al-Khidmat leader Rafique Ahmed drew the attention of the chair toward attitude of the treasury benches. He stressed that decorum be maintained and members should not be allowed to make personal remarks and we should be stopped talking about parties and groups because it was a non-political forum.

The members, who participated in Tuesday’s debate, included Ramzan Awan, Mubarak Baloch, Ismail Baloch and Begum Shaheen Mumtaz. The house will meet again on Wednesday.