Facing opposition: City district council passes non-development budget of Rs7.3 billion

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar district council passed a non-development budget of Rs7.369 billion for the remaining period of the current fiscal year. However, even before the presentation of his budget speech at the District Council Hall in the city on Friday, district nazim Mohammad Asim Khan was met with heavy resistance from opposition groups.

Naib nazim Syed Qasam Ali Shah chaired the first ever budget session of newly-elected district council. The allocations for 24 different departments of the city district government included Rs6.98 million for salaries and Rs381.08 million for running expenses.

Besides chanting slogans against the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, opposition councillors tore copies of Asim Khan’s budget speech. In an attempt to justify their protest, opposition leader Sartaj Khan along with Awami National Party’s Safdar Baghi and Razaullah Khan said nothing was allocated for development purposes in this budget.

Cautious reaction

Some PTI councillors also chanted slogans against opposition parties’ councillors, though a majority of them remained patient.

Naib nazim Shah pleaded with the councillors to maintain peace and decorum. However, the opposition, after protesting, walked out from the hall.

Mohammad Asim then helped form a five-member committee and wooed the opposition councillors to return and end the boycott upon which the nazim finally presented the budget.

Breaking down budgets

In his speech, Mohammad Asim said, “Funds will be released to respective departments according to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government’s procedure.” He added the nazim will present the town administration budgetary allocations before respective forums.

He said Rs149.50 million had been reserved for salaries of the deputy commissioner staff and Rs16.13 million for other expenses. Rs8.77 million had been allocated for civil defence staff salaries and Rs0.336 million for office expenses. Rs5314.53 million was approved for the education staff salaries and Rs144.19 million for their official expenses. He explained this amount included Rs2235.12 million for primary education and Rs3079.41 million for secondary education.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2015.