SIALKOT, June 28: The Sialkot district assembly has unanimously approved a Rs4.70 billion tax-free budget for the fiscal year 2006-07. Convener Rana Ejaz Ahmad presided over the budget session held at Anwar Club here on Wednesday. District Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema presented the budget.

The district nazim informed the House that Rs4.55 billion development expenditures had been estimated while the remaining amount would be spent on non-development schemes.

He disclosed that this year’s budget allocation was 18 per cent more than the previous year.

The district government, he said, had generated Rs430 million from its own resources by reducing the ongoing non-development expenditures.

Terming the budget people-friendly, he said neither a new tax had been levied nor the ratio of existing tax had been changed.

Talking to reporters, Mr Cheema said the district government had focused on the education sector by promoting quality education.

He said the district government had allocated Rs1.85 billion for education, Rs41.7 million for agriculture, Rs174 million for construction and communication, Rs35 million for land revenue, Rs67 million for district council complex, Rs3.7 million for forestry, Rs118.5 million for general administration, Rs1.8 million for public health, Rs35.55 million for livestock, Rs9.3 for mutual help, Rs1.8 million for the development of local industry, Rs28.6 million for social welfare, Rs4 million for civil defense, Rs63.8 million for local council employees, Rs6.6 million for the promotion of sports activities, Rs7 million for the development of parks and tree plantation and Rs20 million for the provision of Sui gas and electricity to rural areas.

The district nazim said that no funds had been set aside for colleges, as these were given under the direct control of the provincial government.

DCO Maj Rizwanullah Baig (retired), EDO (Finance) Rana Azhar Ali, EDO (Revenue) Rana Akram Javaid, EDO (Education) Dr Saifullah Cheema, EDO (Agriculture) Ehsan Leghari and EDO (community development) Muhammad Shafiq Awan also attended the budget session.