GILGIT, Sept 4: The Northern Areas financial adviser Mirza Hussain on Thursday presented over Rs10.93 billion budget for Gilgit-Baltistan in a regular session of Northern Areas Legislative Assembly with its Speaker Malik Mohammad Miskeen in the Chair.

Before Mirza Hussain could start his budget speech, Iqbal Hussain from Ghanche stood up and started criticizing the treasury benches for presenting budget so late.

He said accepting or rejecting the budget hardly makes any difference for the presenter of the budget because the government like previous year was going to utilize it.

Dr. Muzaffar Relay said contrary to the wishes of the house the budget was being presented by the adviser. He demanded of speaker not to let him present the budget and walked out of the house. He was followed by some more members.

Technocrat member, Ghulam Hussain citing the article 17 D of the Northern Area Good Governance said there was no time bar on presenting the budget.

Mirza Hussain in his budget speech said the government had allocated Rs12 million for 1030 new vacancies.He said during current fiscal year 797 projects have been included in the Rs4372.773 million Annual Development Plan and 262 projects would be completed during current financial year.

He informed the house that a new department of excise and taxation has been created and it would start working from this year.

The advisor told the members of the house that the area generated Rs251 million.

The Speaker Malik Mohammad Miskeen adjourned the house to meet again on Monday.

NALA supports Asif: The Northern Area Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution with overwhelming majority, supporting candidature of co-chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari for presidency.

PPP member Ghulam Mohammad presented the resolution that was endorsed by all the members except two members of the PML-N.

The PML-Q also voted in favour of the resolution. Its parliamentary leader Fida Mohammad Nashad said on the occasion that PPP had undertaken various projects for the people of this region.

Another member Engineer Ismail said it was dire need of the hour to work collectively for the development of this region.

Loadshedding schedule: Loadshedding during prayer timings and sehri is causing great problems to the people of Chilas.

The imams of various mosques and namazis said that power outage during prayer timings, especially in the lengthy ‘taraweeh’, was unjustified. They demanded of the authorities concerned to change the load-shedding schedule.

COMPLAINT CELLS: The Gilgit-Baltistan administration has set up public complaint cells at all district offices, besides all sub divisional offices of the region to check profiteering and overcharging, a spokesman of the administration said.