NAWABSHAH, June 30: The Nawabshah district council here on Monday unanimously approved Rs2.133 billion budget for the financial year of 2008-09.

Acting district nazim Abdul Haq Jamali presented the budget at the session. The total estimated income was Rs2,352.184 million whereas estimated expenditure was Rs2,351.934 million and a surplus of Rs250,000.

According to budgetary estimates, an amount of Rs30.092 million was kept for salary and non-salary components of zila nazim secretariat, Rs75.055 million for zila naib nazim secretariat, Rs40.329 million for District Coordination Officer, Rs1,084.310 million for salary and non-salary components of the education department, Rs171.292 million for health, Rs55.044 million for highways and bridges, Rs13.750 million for buildings and structures, Rs17.600 million for education works, Rs22.635 million for finance and planning, Rs53.521 million for revenue, Rs33.245 million for administration, Rs19.462 million for community development department, Rs74.289 million for agriculture, Rs5.476 million for information technology, Rs2.085 million for law department and Rs1.688 million for civil defence.

Besides, Rs434 million for Annual Development Programme schemes, including CCBs, Rs18.727 million for SDSSP schemes, Rs27.435 million for NPIW, Rs400,000 for sugarcane cess development schemes, Rs350,000 for gender reform action plan (GRAP), Rs30.272 million for Sindh education reform programme (SERP), whereas Rs122.400 million for union administration funds.

Briefing the session about the achievements of district government, Abdul Haq Jamali said that 15 development schemes amounting to Rs105.3 million of education department and 105 schemes of roads department at a cost of Rs205.1 million were completed in 2007-08.

He said that health department started zila nazim initiative programme for vaccination of hepatitis-B and at least 123,000 children of government schools were administered two doses of vaccine and the third and final dose would be administered in March next.

He further said that machinery for x-ray units and other laboratory equipments at various health centers were made functional while three middle schools were upgraded at a cost of Rs10.9 million whereas additional class rooms were constructed in the schools.

Informing about the targets in future, he said that a cadet college for girls in Nawabshah has been approved with the efforts of former zila nazim for the benefit of poor girls with Rs450 million, a campus of Sindh University would be established in Nawabshah, a diagnostic laboratory, renovation of federal lodges, upgradation of medical college into women medical university, construction of ring road in Nawabshah, extension in drainage schemes, construction of vegetable markets in rural towns of district, shifting of district jail out of city limits and establishment of public park at the place, construction of Nawabshah-Saeedabad bypass at an estimated cost of Rs480 million, establishment of arts council and open air theatre, water supply schemes for residents of Jam Sahib and Bandhi towns, water filter plants in each union council of district and an under pass for city.

Briefing about the development expenditure 2008-09, he said that am amount of Rs324.31 million was kept for 328 ongoing schemes and Rs82.10 million for new schemes of agriculture, physical planning and housing, roads, education and health departments.