Sindh Budget: live updates

KARACHI: The Sindh budget 2010-11 is being presented by Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali  Shah in the Sindh assembly.

6:50

Rs 871 million were spent under the Lyari package. 31 schemes of water supply have been completed.

Rehabilitation of schools has also begun.

Rs 1300 million has been allocated for rural Karachi under several packages.

Hyderabad package:

31 schemes costing Rs 3.8 billion were completed. These included roads, water supply and sanitation.

Rs 1 billion has been allocated for next year.

Larkana package:

22 schemes costing Rs 4.6 billion were completed in Larkana.

Rs 1.2 billion has been allocated for Larkana for next year.

The Sindh government has initiated many scheme for water supply in seven cities.

6:40

Karachi will be the economic heart of Sindh and Pakistan. Plans to enhance the city have been allocated Rs 16 billion under different schemes.

Rs 2 billion was spent on construction of flyovers and roads in Karachi. Karachi circular railway is also being worked on with the assistance of Japanese government.

The government has to complete certain tasks in a short time, and one of these is the construction of a road from National Highway to Super Highway, and Malir to Super Highway.

6:35

The government supported 150,000 people, this figure will grow to 300,000 By June. We paid Rs6,000 per woman.

27% youth trained under the Benazir Youth Program became self employed.

Provided more than 53,500 jobs on the basis of merit.

The government spent Rs5.2 billion on the provision of electricity and gas.

Rs 15 billion has been spent on all pro-poor programs.

Law and order situation in Sindh:

The government succeeded in maintaining law and order especially in Karachi. Evolved a comprehensive strategy and carried out massive crackdown.

64% decrease in overall crime.

45% decrease in mobile snatching.

27% decrease in kidnapping.

18% decrease in highway robberies.

Sindh Police arrested 128 terrorists.

Police budget increased by more than 65% from 2007 to 2010 and an additional Rs 1.7 billion has been allocated for mobility of forces, arms and CCTV cameras.

The government is looking to improve the conditions in jails, and Rs 200 million have been allocated for prisoner who can not afford lawyers.

6:25

Achievements of the Sindh Government:

Distributed 43,000 acres of land to 4000 beneficiaries.

5,000 women will be allotted land.

Over 50,000 acres would be distributed to landless women haris.

Under the Union Council poverty reduction program, small loans were given to 40,000 women and 200,000 houses for the poor have been completed.

The Chief Minister has said that people all across Sindh have praised Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and President Asif Zardari.

A Health insurance program for the poorest of the poor had been developed, and this program is being expanded to eight more districts.

6:18

CM Qaim Ali Shah stated that the Sindh Government  achieved a breakthrough in the NFC awards with inclusion of revenue generation and the right to collect sales tax on services. He said that the Sindh Goverment passed the law to create a Sindh revenue board to collect the sales tax on services and that this empowerment would help us in developing autonomy.