LAKKI MARWAT: The Lakki Marwat district council on Monday approved Rs334 million development budget for the fiscal year 2016-17 with a major share -- Rs183 million -- going for coping the situations arising out of natural disasters. The budget also earmarked Rs68 million for education sector.

The budget session was chaired by convener and district naib nazim Haji Arab Khan.

District nazim Ishfaq Ahmad Khan Meenakhel said Rs33 million would go for health sector while Rs50 million would be spent on uplift schemes in agriculture, women development and youth affairs.

Taking part in the budget debate, the councillors demanded that practical measures should be taken to ensure execution of the previous year’s ADP schemes.

They asked the district nazim to direct heads of devolved departments to float tenders in newspapers to pave way for initiating work on uplift projects. The members said long and short-term uplift schemes should be included in the ADP besides funds should be allocated for provision and improvement of healthcare facilities in hospitals. They also demanded financial assistance for flood-hit Kaichi Kamar area.

Swat and Chitral local govts also present annual budgets

The district nazim pointed out that annual budgets of Nowshera, Swabi and some other districts were more than the districts located in southern region of the province.

MINGORA: Swat District Nazim Mohammad Ali Shah on Monday presented Rs7.7 billion budget for the year 2016-17.

He said a huge Rs6.7 billion had been allocated for non-developmental expenditures, including payment of salaries of the employees of the departments that fell under the local government. He said Rs310 million had been allocated as non-salary budget for the district departments, Rs638 million set aside as development budget while Rs68 million had allocated as the council grant.

Opposition leader Ahamd Khan accused the district nazim of not taking opposition into confidence during preparation of the budget.

“Opposition leader is always consulted and is present during the preparation of budget but I was not consulted during the whole process,” he lamented.

PTI female councillor Anbia Subhan also alleged that despite several complaints no heed was paid to the demands of the opposition councillors. “The female councilors belonging to PTI attempted several times to speak on important issues during the council’s sessions but we were not given any opportunity to do so. Only PML-N councillors are given chance to speak,” she regretted.

But, PML-N woman district councillor Nasim Akhtar rejected the accusation and said every member was given chance to speak his or her mind in the council sessions.

CHITRAL: District nazim Maghfirat Shah presented Rs3.5 billion annual budget of district government for the year 2016-17 on Monday, which also included Rs309 million as salary component.

He said a sum of R296 million had been provided by the provincial government which also included a special grant of Rs58 million.

He said as per existing criterion, 25 per cent of the development budget would be placed on the discretion of the house for further allocation to different sectors on need basis. He maintained that education and communication sectors would get 20 per cent each, water supply schemes 10 per cent and agriculture, women development and youth five per cent each.

At the outset of his budget speech, the district nazim tacitly reprimanded the provincial government for employing delaying tactics in devolving powers to the local government as provided in the local government act. He said no problem of people could be solved without the devolution of power in real terms.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2016