Amount of Rs7.7 billion presented for Swat

Opposition members say they were not consulted for budget

MINGORA: The budget for Swat district was presented with a total outlay of Rs7.7 billion. The district administration started the budget session amid protest by the opposition.

The meeting of the elected councillors was presided over by Swat deputy district nazim Abdul Jabbar Khan, who had earlier summoned them to meet and discuss matters related to the annual budget.

Almost all the elected members of the district assembly attended the meeting which was chaired by Swat district nazim Muhammad Ali Shah.

Distribution

While addressing the assembly, Shah said a large portion of the budget, Rs6,767.819 million, has been allocated for non-development purposes, including salaries of employees of various departments in the district. The amount to be spent on non-salary expenditures is Rs310 million, share for development in the district is Rs638.158 million, while the district council grant is Rs68.613 million. Shah added all the elected members and those from the opposition benches were taken into confidence ahead of formulating the annual budget for year 2016-17.

Shah told The Express Tribune the elected members would approve the budget in next meeting of the council, scheduled for August 25.

However, when contacted, leader of the opposition, Ahmad Khan, said the district nazim did not consult him while formulating the budget. “Members of the opposition are also part of the house and they are legally entitled to give their opinion, however, the district nazim has completely ignored the opposition,” he told The Express Tribune.

Other members of the opposition also said they were ignored in the budget making process.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2016.