BAHAWALPUR, June 28: The district council after two-day deliberations on Wednesday approved a Rs3406.568 million tax-free budget for the next financial year. Winding up the debate, District Nazim Tariq Cheema assured the house that in the light of members’ proposals the budgetary provisions would be utilised for the public welfare.

He informed the house that Rs50 million would be spent on construction of zilla complex.

He said under the chief minister’s directions women councillors would be paid honorarium soon. For the finalisation of uplift projects proposed by women councilors a committee had been constituted, he added.

Cheema informed the house that Rs1124.297 million had been allocated for the district’s development, which included the Rs552.945 million for the on-going schemes, Rs272.866 million for new uplift projects, Rs300 million for the Citizen Community Boards (CCBs) and Rs135.009 million for education sector reforms programme.

He said the new uplift projects to be implemented during the next financial year included; 91 electricity schemes, 43 roads, 252 buildings, 67 water and sanitation schemes, and 272 water courses. He said two degree colleges for special education would also be built in the district at a cost of Rs6.255 million.

PROBE: Scores of people have been rounded up for interrogation of the killing of two Jamaat Ahl-e-hadith activists during the past week at Choonawala town near Hasilpur.

Acting DPO told Dawn that no innocent shopkeepers were being implicated in the case.

Quoting Hasilpur DSP, he claimed that normalcy had returned to Choonawala town.

Meanwhile, Jamaat Ahl-e-sunnat at its emergency meeting expressed concern over the reported implication of innocent people in the case. The meeting demanded that innocent people should not be harassed by the police.