PESHAWAR, July 17: The Town-III of the Peshawar City District on Wednesday presented a budget of Rs200m receipts, showing a surplus of over Rs1m as total expenditure during the 2002-03 has been estimated at Rs199m.

Town-III Nazim Yasin Khan Khalil presented the annual budget at a Hayatabad Township hotel this morning. Besides 21 Nazimeen of the union councils, District Nazim Azam Khan Afridi and Deputy District Nazim Dr Iqbal Khalil were also present.

According to the budget document, out of the total Rs200m receipts a paltry sum of Rs21.1m would be spent on development works, including a sum of Rs500,000 on petty works, Rs1m for construction of roads and pavement of the streets, Rs2.7m for water supply schemes and streetlights, and Rs900,000 for purchase of small-size tractors and trolleys.

A sum of Rs6.1m has been set aside for the ongoing development schemes.

The Town-III is starting the new financial year with an opening balance of Rs6.7m whereas its receivable income during the financial year includes Rs40.5m on account of its share under the Octroi money transferred by Islamabad to the provinces for onward distribution among the local bodies, Rs3.5m operational grant from the provincial government, Rs5m from the provincial government for development purposes, Rs41.6m would be raised by the town council from its own resources, Rs84m would come as income from Hayatabad Township and the City Development and Management Department grant.

Whereas Rs19.5m would be raised through income by the University Town committee falling under the limits of Town-III.

The development schemes in women, minority and labour councillors’ areas are to get Rs900,000. The University Town committee would spend Rs15.9 million on non-development heads, Rs1.8m on the ongoing schemes and Rs1.5m on development schemes.

The Hayatabad Township, which also falls within the limits of the Town-III, would spend Rs12.5m on disbursement of salaries to its employees and Rs71.4m on repairs of various schemes.

Giving salient features of the budget, Mr Khalil said we have allocated a maximum amount for the new and ongoing developmental schemes, sanitation and sewerage, installation of new tube-wells, health-care, welfare of womenfolk, scholarships for poor students and sports activities in the area.

He said a new boys college would be established in the township with the help of the provincial government.

The Town-III received a nominal share from the assets of the disbanded Municipal Corporation, Peshawar, last year.

The construction of the giant Regi Lalma housing scheme, expansion of the Warsak and University Roads by the provincial government in the limits of Town-III would solve many of our problems, he said.