KARACHI, April 28: A draft budget of Rs43,602.16 million for the year 2007-08 for the City District Government Karachi was presented before the City Council on Saturday. Naib City Nazim and Convenor of the City Council Ms Nasreen Jalil chaired the session.

The budget document shows a surplus of Rs493.99 million with total expected receipts standing at Rs43,602.16 million as against the total expenditure of Rs43,108.17 million. No new taxes have been levied in the budget.

The draft budget will be deliberated upon in the house on May 6 when members would put forward their proposals and those approved by the house would be incorporated in the final document.

The summary of the budget document shows grants and releases from the Sindh government as the CDGK’s major receipts which stand at Rs9,780.67 million.

UPROAR: Pandemonium marred the City Council session again on Saturday when opposition members, carrying banners and placards, continued their protest for the third consecutive day against, what they called, ‘hooliganism by treasury members’ during Thursday session when Leader of the Opposition Saeed Ghani and several of his bench colleagues were physically manhandled.

The protesters raised slogans against the convenor, Nasreen Jalil, as soon as she took her seat.

Before she could announce commencement of the day’s proceedings, of Budget session, many angry opposition members, led by Mr Ghani and Rafiq Ahmed, stood up to demand action against those involved in the Thursday incident.

Their uproar created complete chaos in the house.

The convenor had to suspend the session several time but the opposition members continued with their noisy protest.

Finding no way to restore order in the house, the chair put off the session till May 26 after taking up a resolution calling for a debate on CDGK draft budget amid the uproar. She declared the resolution passed and the treasury members left the house, leaving behind the opposition members to continue with their protest.