NOWSHERA, July 10: District Nazim Daud Khan Khattak presented Rs1.23 billion budget for 2006-7 in the district council here on Monday with an outlay of Rs280.4 million for development schemes.

He said the district would receive Rs97.849 million as octroi tax, Rs27.434 million under the provincial financial award and Rs2.2 million from urban immovable tax.

He said the district government would get Rs40 million from the national drainage reform programme to improve the canal system.

He said Rs33 million had been allocated for the completion of ongoing schemes and Rs6.858 million for citizens’ community boards.

Mr Khattak said that the government would give priority to providing clean drinking water and improving the irrigation system.

He said that provincial government had approved construction of three small dams in remote areas of the district under the Dera-II programme.

He said work on providing gas, constructing a sports complex, a federal government degree college, the Khuishgi lift irrigation and other schemes would be started during the current financial year under a development package announced by President Pervez Musharraf last year.