NAWABSHAH, July 28: The budget of the Taluka Council of Nawabshah for the fiscal 2006-07 with a surplus of Rs344,000 was approved here on Thursday. The budget session of the taluka council was held under the chairmanship of presiding officer Sohrab Chandio at the municipal hall.

Acting taluka nazim Khan Bahadur Bhatti presented the budget.

Briefing the budget outlays, the acting taluka nazim said that total income of taluka council was Rs123.259 million whereas estimated expenditures stood at Rs122.915 million and a surplus of Rs344,000.

An amount of Rs2 million was kept for CC toping, Rs1.5 million for brick pavement, Rs2.5 million for drainage lines, Rs2 million for pucca roads, Rs1.5 million for manholes, Rs500,000 for water supply lines, Rs2.4 million for culverts, Rs2.2 million for low cost water supply scheme, Rs1 million for women development, Rs2 million for entrance gates, Rs3 million for ongoing schemes and others.

The media men were not informed about the budget session and annual grant of Nawabshah press club was reduced to Rs50,000 from Rs300,000 without any reason.

Earlier, Zulfiqar Rind, member of Awam Dost Panel and naib nazim of the Union Council, Ghandtar, boycotted the session and staged a walk out protesting that the members were not informed about the session.

He alleged that the town municipal administration was hub of corrupt officers and contractors were awarding contracts to favourites in their rooms and also violating SLGO every day by not awarding contracts through open auction and not providing records to council members.

SHO BOOKED: Qazi Ahmed police booked SHO Khai police station and three policemen on the directives of sessions judge, here on Thursday.