SIALKOT, June 27: The Sialkot district government on Wednesday unanimously passed its Rs5.14 billion tax-free surplus budget for fiscal 2007-08 in its budget session held at Anwar Club Auditorium.

Convener Rana Ejaz Ahmad presided over the session.

Presenting the budget, district nazim Akmal Cheema said more than Rs2.10 billion would be spent on development programmes in the district.

He said budget was Rs445 million higher than that of outgoing fiscal year 2006-07. The district government would get Rs3.17 billion as its share from the PFC Award.

Highlighting the salient features of the budget, he told the house that education, health and agriculture sectors were on top of the agenda of the district government.

He said Rs394.2 million had been allocated for health service and Rs44 million for the development of agriculture sector in the district, he added.

He said Rs148.2 million had been earmarked for buildings and communication, Rs5.11 million for forest, Rs2 million for public health, Rs6.782 million for industries, Rs3.5 million for labour and Rs9.163 million for cooperatives.

Mr Cheema said more than Rs58.8 million had been set aside for the provision of medicines in government hospitals while Rs16.4 million had been allocated for the provision of new machinery to the Allama Iqbal Hospital.

He said Rs5 million had been allocated for the promotion of sports while Rs2 million for Emergency Flood Relief Fund.

Allocation for the repair and construction of government hospitals and dispensaries had been increased to Rs25 million from Rs12.5 million.