Sindh assembly: Supplementary budget worth Rs41.4b approved

All cut motions presented by opposition leaders rejected by the ruling party.

KARACHI:

The Sindh Assembly passed the supplementary budget worth Rs41.4 billion by rejecting 171 motions on budget cuts worth Rs140 million presented by the joint opposition.

This budget includes Rs10.54 billion for disaster management, Rs8.15 billion for state trading, Rs7.13 for irrigation, Rs3.57 billion for agriculture and food, Rs2.6 billion for police, Rs2 billion for investment, Rs600 million for excise and taxation, Rs140 million for law and parliamentary affairs, Rs90 million for education, Rs40 million for information technology, Rs40 million for power and Rs30 million for rural development. Opposition members Abdul Razzaque Rahimoon of Pakistan Muslim League - Q, Marvi Rashdi and Nusrat Seher Abbasi of PML-F, opposition leader Jam Madad Ali, PML-Q Chetan Mal Arwani presented their cut motion.

Rashdi requested the government reduce Rs100,000 from the expenses of advisers and special assistants to the chief minister. Expenses worth Rs130 million were shown for them. Meanwhile, Rahimoon demanded a reduction of Rs100,000 from the expenses of forest and  wildlife department secretariat. These motions were, however, rejected. The opposition leader requested the ruling party to set a precedent to accept one of the cut motions seeking reduction of a burden on the national exchequer but all such motions were rejected and the budget was passed.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2011.