KARACHI, July 3: The Malir Development Authority (MDA) passed a surplus budget with a total outlay of Rs10.373 billion for the financial year 2007-08.

The budget meeting was chaired by City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, who is also the MDA chairman, at the Civic Centre on Tuesday.

According to the budget document, the total receipts of MDA for fiscal 2007-08 has been estimated at Rs10.373 billion against the expenditures of Rs9.81 billion, showing a Rs563.410 million surplus.

A sum of Rs9,613.15 million has been set aside for development expenditures, including infrastructure, water and sewerage system, roads, storm-water drainage and other works, while Rs196.858 million would be spent on non-development expenditures.

The annual instalments of 93,000 allotees of the New Malir Housing Scheme-I and Taisar Town Scheme-45 were stated to the MDA’s main source of income. Besides, about Rs2 billion would be generated through auction of plots.

During the meeting, the city nazim also announced an increase of Rs1,700 per month in the salaries of contract employees.

To ensure power supply to the area, the meeting gave approval for allotment of four acres to the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation for installation of a grid station.

He said uplift work on roads, water, sewerage, bridges, parks and drainage system was being carried out rapidly in MDA schemes and about 80 per cent of work in New Malir Housing Scheme had been completed while 40 per cent work for Taisar Town had also been done.

Mr Kamal said that plots would be allotted to the city government and the MDA employees through balloting.

He said that 390 new posts were being created in the MDA to improve its working. However, he said, recruitment would start only after the government would lift the ban on jobs.

He directed the MDA to coordinate with the Master Plan Department as all rules and regulations to be framed in the city’s new Master Plan would be the same for all areas, including the MDA schemes.

He nominated Saleem Khamisani and Yousuf Munir Shaikh as members of the MDA’s auction committee for ensuring transparency in the auction process.

Among others, the meeting was attended by MPAs Mehmood Alam Jamot and Yousuf Munir Shaikh, Gadap Town Nazim Ghulam Murtaza Baloch and Saleem Khamisani.