K-P presents Rs488b budget for fiscal year 2015-16

K-P to receive over Rs250b from federal divisible pool and Rs30b for War on Terror

PESHAWAR: Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Advocate Muzaffar Said presented the province’s budget with an outlay of Rs487.88 billion for fiscal year 2015-16 on Monday , Radio Pakistan reported.

The province will receive over Rs250 billion from the federal divisible pool and Rs30 billion for the War on Terror.

The minister announced that the federal government would pay the province Rs68 billion as hydel net profit and arrears of electricity, and Rs19.41 billion as royalty of oil and gas.

The finance minister said that Rs174.88 billion had been allocated for the Annual Development Programme, under which 911 ongoing development schemes would be completed and 614 new schemes would be initiated.

Said said that Rs97.54 billion had been proposed for education, reflecting a 21% increase, while Rs29.95 billion had been proposed for health.

Rs32.74 billion has been allocated for improving the capability of the police department, while a 10% increase was announced in the pension and salaries of provincial government employees.

Earlier, the K-P cabinet had approved the budgetary proposals for fiscal year 2015-16.

Opposition walk-out

Members of K-P assembly’s opposition parties staged a walk out to register their protest during the K-P budget session, chaired by K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Express News reported.

Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) members were part of the walk-out; however, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) was not part of the protest.