LAHORE,July 29: The Data Ganj Bakhsh Town Council on Monday unanimously approved a Rs199.887 million tax-free surplus budget for 2002-3.
Town Nazim Khwaja Ahmed Hasaan presented the budget showing an estimated income of Rs164.7 million and expected savings of Rs7.235 million at the town council meeting held at the Jinnah Hall. Naib Nazim Mian Muhammad Usman presided.
Every town councillor has been allocated Rs500,000 for funding development schemes during the current financial year against Rs300,000 each provided last year.
A number of councillors called for raising the amount to one million rupees per head but their demand was not accepted.
HONORARIUM: The town council took the lead in sanctioning an honorarium of Rs2,000 per month for all the councillors.
All Naib Nazimeen, town councillors, minority and lady councillors will also be paid Rs1,000 per month as T.A/D.A. in addition for attending the council sessions.
Councillor Ziaullah Ansari protested against the decision saying that there was no justification for the grant of T.A/D.A as attending the council sessions was the responsibility of the members.
DEVELOPMENT SCHEMES: Over Rs90 million is proposed to be spent on 307 development schemes during the current financial year. This includes a sum of Rs32.766 million to be utilized for completion of 127 ongoing schemes and Rs57.3078 million earmarked for 180 mutual schemes costs of which are to be shared equally by the town and the union councils and the town and City District Government.
As many as 72 ongoing development schemes costing Rs17.431 are being financed from the discretionary funds of the Town Nazim and Naib Nazim. The discretionary funds have been abolished this year.
Another 38 ongoing schemes costing Rs11.4 million are being financed by the union councils and quota of funds allocated to the union councillors.
Seven development schemes proposed by the councillors are in the pipeline. The schemes are estimated to cost Rs2.1 million.
As many as 10 community development schemes, costing Rs1.834 million, are to be completed by the citizen community boards. The residents of the areas where the schemes are being completed have contributed Rs4,58,600 towards the costs.
Every district, town and union council is bound to allocate 25 per cent of its development funds for community development schemes 20 per cent costs of which are to be borne by the beneficiaries.
The council raised the allocation for the streetlights from Rs4 million to Rs5 million. The allocation for patchwork was increased from Rs2.5 million to Rs4 million.
A sum of Rs34.7 million was earmarked for payment of salaries to 357 town employees in case the government grant was not provided for the purpose.
The town expects a grant of Rs61.7 million this year.
Target of total income during the current financial years has been fixed at Rs164.7 million. The town hopes to raise Rs5.6 million through taxes. The town expects to raise Rs52.4 million from its own sources during the current financial year.
LIABILITIES: Liabilities exceeding Rs30 million are payable by the town, according to the schedule of liabilities dis-tributed during the council session.
The town has to pay Rs16.245 million towards the development schemes financed from the discretionary grants of the Town Nazim and Naib Nazim.
Only Rs4.932 million has so far been paid against 41 schemes funded from the Town Naib Nazim, Town councillors, lady councillors and labour councillors’ quotas of funds.
An amount of Rs6.438 million is outstanding. A sum of Rs2.286 million is due towards the 20 per cent community participation development schemes.
A sum of Rs3.295 million is payable towards the patchwork and Rs2 million towards the cost of streetlights maintenance.