GUJRAT, June 19: The district council on Saturday unanimously approved Rs2,473 million tax-free budget for the financial year 2004-05.

The budget session was presided over by District Naib Nazim Mian Arshad Hayat while District Nazim Chaudhry Shafaat Husain presented the budget.

He said the federal and provincial governments would give Rs1,710 million this year, the expected income from council resources was over Rs22 million while the remaining Rs740 million was carry over from the last fiscal.

He said a sum of Rs1,420 million had been set aside for expenditure while Rs1,053 million would be spent on various development projects.

A sum of Rs139 million would be spent on the education sector. Three buses worth Rs9 million would be purchased for three colleges for girls while stipends worth Rs1.5 million would be given to the deserving students.

He also said Rs15 million would be spent on ESR (reforms in education sector) and Rs91 million for the provincial education reforms programme.

According to the Nazim, as much as Rs30 million have been allocated for the health department, Rs97.5 million for construction of roads and bridges, Rs9.1 million for the agriculture sector and Rs118 million for water supply, sewerage and drainage schemes.

While Rs7.7 million would be spent to make Shadiwal a model village, Rs10 million would be spent on Dera programme, Rs88.8 million on citizen community boards and Rs167.5 million on development in union councils.

The Nazim said this year Kharian and Sarai Alamgir tehsils would be given more preference than Gujrat on the development front.