Sindh govt presents Rs686 billion budget

Announces Rs55 billion for law and order situation in the province; Rs40 billion for development sector.

KARACHI: The Sindh Assembly is currently in session to present the budget for fiscal year 2014-2015 on Friday, Express News reported.

The total outlay of Sindh's budget is estimated around Rs686 billion.

Presenting the budget, Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah addressed the assembly in English and in a relatively calm atmosphere, in direct contrast to the Punjab government's presentation of the budget amid loud cheering and jeering, which was taking place simultaneously.

Shah announced that Rs55 billion has been allocated for the law and order situation in the province, and Rs40 billion for the development sector. Mega-development projects will receive Rs6 billion, while the Karachi Circular Railways, Lyari Expressway, Thar coal power project will receive Rs1 billion each.





During his speech, the chief minister mentioned that poor tax collection by the federal government was the reason the provincial government had to slash the budget on development project during the outgoing fiscal year.

An amount of Rs122 billion has been allocated to education and non-development projects, Rs3 billion to subsidy on wheat and Rs46 billion to health.

The salaries of government employees have been increased by 10% to 15%.