THATTA, June 30: The district council on Saturday approved a Rs2,232.297 million annual budget for 2007-08 without making any debate on the budget in its session convened at Syed Qadir Dino Shah hall.

Naib Nazim Iqbal Khan Chandio presided over the session.

District Nazim Syed Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi told the council in its budget speech that the district government had put aside Rs1,435.020 million for the employees’ salaries of 12 departments, Rs483.563 million had been allocated for annual development programme and Rs313.713 million had been set aside under the head of miscellaneous expenses.

He praised the DCO and EDOs for preparing in coordination with the council’s budget and development committee what he termed as a people-friendly and tax-free budget.

He said that the district would carry out next year 389 schemes for roads, 19 for education, 10 for health and 54 for water supply and drainage and would plan the construction of 25 women social uplift centres in the district to help rural women learn various skills and develop confidence through their social gatherings.

Mr Shirazi said that Rs25m had been earmarked as an additional grant for the NCHD to help it enhance salaries of school teachers affiliated with it from Rs1,500 to Rs2,500 and release scholarships to poor-cum-excellent students.

He announced enhancement in the fixed grant for union councils from Rs100,000 to Rs200,000 and 20 per cent raise for health department to enable it to procure medicines and suggested constitution of a committee to monitor purchase and free distribution of drugs amongst the poor and needy patients.

The council offered fateha for the people who died during the recent flash floods in Balochistan and Sindh.