PESHAWAR, March 1: The City District government has announced Rs6.71 billion budget for the financial year 2005-06, showing a net surplus of over Rs1.37 billion. The total expenditure for the period has been estimated at Rs5.34 billion.
District Nazim Haji Ghulam Ali presented the budget on Wednesday, amid uproar by the opposition which boycotted the budget session saying that it was not allowed to table a resolution against the blasphemous cartoons in the district council.
The budget presented after the passage of eight months of the fiscal year, estimates Rs3.05 billion additional revenue in comparison with the last financial year when total receipts of the district government stood at Rs3.66 bn.
Initially, the district government had estimated its income for the last financial year at Rs4.11 bn which it could not materialise.
No new tax has been introduced in the budget.
The district is likely to receive Rs1.6 bn on account of its share from divisible pool in accordance with the Provincial Finance Commission award — up from Rs1.5 bn in the 2004-05 financial year.
Similarly, an income of about Rs530 million has been estimated, this time round, against Rs442 million earned in 2004-05, on account of district local fund.
Substantial boost has been estimated under the city development and municipal development’s income during this financial year.
CDMD had recorded a total income of Rs1.7 bn during the 2004-05 financial year, whereas, for the 2005-06 financial year it has been estimated to raise a total of Rs4.6bn.
The district government has estimated CDMD’s income to go up from Rs146 million last year to Rs626m in the 2005-06 on account of receipts from provincial government for schemes covered under the annual development programme. Similarly, revenue receipts from the under-completion Regi Model town have also been estimated to grow from Rs85m last year to Rs142.6m this year.
A substantial chunk of Rs400m would be raised through sale of plot in the Regi Model town. Last year the district government had raised Rs856m on this account.
Similarly, receipts from the Ring road have also been estimated to grow from Rs836,000 in last year to Rs19m in 2005-06 fiscal year.
Out of the total expenditure of Rs5.34 bn, an amount of Rs3.5 bn would be spent on the development schemes and the rest Rs1.9 bn would be spent on non-development expenditure heads.
An amount of Rs100 million has been allocated for the construction of overhead bridges and underpasses on Grand Trunk Road and Jamrud Road. The district has allocated Rs30.4m as operational grant for four town councils.
CDMD will spend Rs2.74 billion on Hayatabad township and Regi Model town schemes. Union councils will receive Rs40.31 million for development schemes. Each union council will receive Rs1.5 million. The district government has allocated Rs14.5 million for Citizens Community Boards.
District Nazim said that work on various development schemes was in progress including construction of Rehman Baba Square.
Mr Ali said that widening of Circular road, construction of township scheme on GT Road, development of greenbelt on both sides of GT Road with the assistance of private sector, construction of modern bus terminal and truck stand, provision of safe drinking water and construction of recreation park over 200 kanal had been proposed.
On account of non-development expenditures Rs110.63m has been allocated for maintenance and repair work, while total establishment charges are Rs130.76m. CDMD will receive Rs360.15m for maintenance of roads in the city.