SARGODHA, June 29: The district council approved Rs4,112 million budget for the year 2006-07 amid uproar here on Thursday. While presenting the budget, District Nazim Sheikh Inamul Haq Piracha informed the house that out of the total budget allocation, 91 per cent budget would be spent on non-development schemes while the remaining on development projects.

The district nazim said that the maximum amount of Rs1.97 billion had been earmarked for the education sector.

He disclosed that the Punjab Financial Commission had approved an interim award of Rs3.23 billion for the forthcoming fiscal budget out of which Rs2.95 billion would be spent on salaries, allowances and other administrative matters.

At least Rs429 million, he said, had been allocated for health sector and Rs429 million for miscellaneous expenditures. Despite financial constraints, he said Rs85.8 million had been earmarked for projects approved by district assembly members. Each member would get Rs0.42 million.

He said that Rs162 million had been allocated for ongoing development schemes, Rs71.2 million for citizen community boards, Rs347.44 million for land revenue, Rs59.586 million for agriculture, Rs1.743 million for industry, Rs17.168 million for planning and social welfare, Rs5.205 million for forests, Rs1.301 million for public health engineering, Rs52.586 million for livestock, Rs80.271 million for roads and communication, Rs25.435 million for buildings department.

Raising objections, opposition leaders, including Malik Hamid Nawaz Awan, said that the house for the approval of the budget had elected no financial committee.

They further alleged that copies of budget and its agenda were not supplied to the opposition.

Minority members, including Mushtaq Gill, alleged that minority members were not being provided development funds.

GUJRANWALA: The district council accorded approval to revised budget of 2005-06 worth Rs2.71 billion, including development expenditure of Rs377 million, at a meeting here on Thursday while the budget for 2006-7 would be presented on July 19.