RAWALPINDI, July 25: The Rs550 million non-development financial budget 2002-2003 of the Rawalpindi cantonment was presented before its mini-board on Thursday.

Different aspects of the budget were discussed in the mini- board meeting, participated by the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) president, Brig Hamid Khalil, Chief Executive Officer Kh Iftikhar Mir, Additional Chief Executive Officer Hassan Akhtar Mirza, Water Supply director Col Abdul Rehman and the accounts officer.

A major part of the budget has been earmarked for non- development expenditures. Only 26.9 per cent of the total budget will be spent on development works in the cantonment limits, while the remaining portion has been allocated for non- development expenses.

The total revenues, which the civic body will generate during the financial year 2002-2003, have been estimated at Rs474.720 million. An amount of Rs76.105 million has remained from the last year’s budget, which is Rs27 million more than the statutorily required balance at the end of a financial year.

On the other hand, the total expenditures during the current year have been estimated at Rs500.271 million. The budget, as such, is a surplus one, as Rs50.554 million will remain as closing balance at the end of the current financial year.

According to well-placed sources, levying of some taxes, specially sanitation tax, has also been proposed, whereas some taxes, particularly water charges, are likely to be enhanced in the budget.

As the full RCB board remains suspended and there is no one in the mini-board to truly represent the civilian population in the cantonment limits, the civic body is likely to allocate major chunk of the budget for the areas populated by the serving and retired army people, the sources said.