PESHAWAR, June 27: The NWFP Assembly on Tuesday passed the remaining 37 demands for grants of Rs67.983 billion to meet additional expenditures projected in revised estimates by various departments in the annual budget for 2006-07.
The house had already granted 17 demands worth Rs12.28 billion on Saturday and Monday.
Opposition MPAs said that shortage of funds affected performance of various departments. Abdul Akbar Khan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians said the government had earmarked 0.025 per cent of the budget for the agriculture sector which made a mockery of the concept of rural development. He demanded increase in the budget for this sector.
Opposing an allocation of Rs210 million for the agriculture university, he said if the institution was not doing any research why such a big amount had been earmarked for it.
The PPP member also objected to huge allocations for the irrigation and power department, which had allegedly failed to spend even one-third of the funds allocated in the outgoing financial year.
Irrigation Minister Hafiz Akhtar Ali informed the house that the department had saved a substantial amount this year. He said other provinces using water share of the NWFP since 1991 owed Rs65 billion to it.
Sardar Mohammad Ayub from the earthquake-hit Daso area rose into his seat and opened an umbrella urging Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani to give him some share in ‘umbrella’ schemes.
After the passage of 26 demands, the opposition members withdrew the remaining 28 motions.
Speaker Bakhat Jehan Khan adopted all the cut motions one by one. The 54 demands for grants passed during the last three days are worth Rs79.8 billion.
Leader of the house Akram Khan Durrani remained present in the assembly. Health Minister Inyatullah Khan on behalf of Finance Minister Sirajul Haq tabled all the demands for grants pertaining to the departments of finance and planning and development.
Earlier, speaking on the cut motions of Bashir Ahmad Bilour and Israrullah Khan Gandapur, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Malik Zafar Azam, who also holds the portfolio of commerce and industry, said that under the Provincial Industrial Policy 2005 the government had announced 25 per cent rebate on the electricity consumption for certain industrial units.
He said that land had been acquired for the construction of a building for the Haripur Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He said the government planned extension in the Nowshera Industrial Estates and added that development work for Jalozai Industrial Estate was going apace.
Dr Mohammad Saleem, an independent MPA from Swabi, drew attention of the house towards publication of his photo in a newspaper showing him sleeping in the house. The member said he would bring a privilege motion against the newspaper.
The session was adjourned until Wednesday.