PESHAWAR, Oct 26: Councillors from rural areas walked out from the Peshawar city district council budget session here on Friday, complaining that the city district government had ignored the rural areas in the new budget for the year 2001-02, giving priority to urban areas.

They raised objection that the city government had diverted a major chunk of the budget to the urban areas of the provincial capital and bypassed the rural areas, meting out injustice to the latter.

Around 48 union council members staged a walk-out from the hall, which disturbed the proceedings.

The city district council budget session started here at Archives Hall on Friday, with convener Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khalil presided over the proceedings.

Nazim from a union council of town two, Israrullah Advocate stirred up the controversy, complaining that the government had totally ignored the rural areas and the urban sector, particularly Town-1, were to receive more funds in the Annual Development Programme.

He said that the city government should concentrate on less developed areas of the city, because the population of the rural areas had very limited civic facilities.

He said that the government should allocate maximum funds to town-3 and 4, comprising less developed areas.

He said that the distribution of funds, received by the city district government from the provincial government on account of Octroi and Zila tax was based on injustice. After completing his discussion, the Israrullah and other members staged the walk-out.

The members ended their boycott, when the district Nazim Azam Afridi gave assurance that the government would give due share to the rural areas.

He said that the government did not believe in discrimination and would give equal share to the rural and urban areas.

Earlier, starting discussion on the annual budget, Haji Mohammad Yaqoob termed the budget a jugglery of figures, complaining that the government had overlooked social sector and allocated very small amount for education, health and communication.

The city government should reduce non-developmental expenditure and minimise spending on the Nazim secretariat and concentrate on people’s problems.

The city district Nazim, Azam Afridi presented a Rs1.48 billion receipts budget for the year 2001-02 on Tuesday.