LAKKI MARWAT, June 30: A Rs1,067.35 million annual budget for the Lakki Marwat district was presented by District Nazim Humayun Saifullah Khan here on Saturday. In his budget speech, the nazim said that Rs81.909 million had been earmarked for developmental and Rs985.447 million for non-developmental expenditures.

An amount of Rs6.617 million has been allocated for ongoing schemes, Rs18.861 million for new projects, Rs16.129 million for CCBs schemes, Rs2.761 million for education sector reforms, Rs4.530 million for projected being executed on directives of the chief minister, Rs2.252 million for the gender development grant under the National Gender Reforms Action Plan and Rs31 million for water management, Mr Saifullah said.

Allocations specified under non-developmental expenditures are: Rs971.773 million for salary and non-salary budget, Rs4.838 million for the zila council (salaries and other expenditures of the district nazim and district naib nazim office) and Rs8.836 million for union councils, he added.

The nazim said that the Lakki district government had a deficit amount of Rs46.280 million on account of salary paid between July 2006 and May 2007 and it had to bridge the gap from its account-IV which marred the development process and created a financial crisis.

He said the provincial government had overpaid Rs292.148 million to Wapda from its account-IV from 2001 till 2004.

At the start of the budget session, members from both the treasury and opposition benches staged a walkout to express concern over the rise in kidnapping incidents and the deteriorating law and order situation in the district.

The district naib nazim held talks with the members and brought them back to the house. Leader of Opposition in the district council Ishfaq Ahmad Khan Meenakhel and other members, including Ismatullah Khan, Haji Juma Raz Kan, Haji Mohammad Azim Khan and others invited the attention of the council to the activities of militants and rise in crimes in the area.

District residents, including government officials, were being kidnapped in broad daylight, they said, adding: “No one is safe at the hands of criminals as lawlessness has peaked in the district”.

They accused the bigwigs of the district government of keeping mum over the situation and said that no one had bothered to convene a council session over the matter to chalk out a strategy.

They suggested constituting a committee to take up the issue with the provincial government and law enforcement agencies. The members also highlighted problems being faced in their respective union councils.

The budget session was held at the district council hall with convener advocate Qudratullah Khan in the chair.