KARACHI, June 28: The proceedings of the City Council’s budget session on Saturday were marred by total chaos and disorder owing to the rumpus by opposition members, who protested against the withholding of uplift funds meant for the union councils, as City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal presented a Rs37.1426 billion tax-free budget, showing a surplus of Rs105.68 million.

The session was delayed for an hour due to pre-session talks held between the nazim and the opposition group leaders, which failed to bear fruit.

The session, which was presided over by Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, started at 6.35pm. It was adjourned by the convener to meet again at 7.20pm for the second round of talks between the nazim and the opposition leaders, but that too could not make any progress.

As soon as Mustafa Kamal started his speech, the opposition members, holding placards, drew his attention to their grievances.

The convener tried to calm down the angry opposition members and reminded them that it was a budget session and under the relevant SLGO rules, during the budget session, no other business could be conducted.

Taking the floor, opposition leaders Saeed Ghani and Rafiq Ahmed argued that they wanted to make submissions on the budget. On the request of the nazim, both the opposition leaders were allowed to submit their arguments.

Mr Ghani pointed out various ambiguities in the preparation of the budget and violations of SLGO rules. He said during the last budget session, he had also identified those violations. Agreeing with Mr Ghani’s contention, Rafiq Ahmed called for “ending discrimination in the allocation of UC funds.”

But treasury leader Masood Mehmood did not agree with the opposition’s contentions and refuted their arguments.

However, when the nazim rose to make his speech, the opposition members stood up and shouted slogans in support of their demands.

As the nazim took no notice of their protest, the opposition members tore up copies of the budget and started raising slogans of “Go nazim go,” and thumped their desks to interrupt his speech.

However, Mustafa Kamal kept reading out his speech. The chair also dismissed the objections of the opposition.

In his speech, the nazim described the CDGK’s budget for 2008-2009 as “social sector oriented,” with emphasis on health, education, environment and community welfare projects.

He said the budget of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, which has not been included in the city government’s budget, has seen an increase of almost Rs1.5 billion in the current year’s budget.

According to him, the government has curtailed Rs943 million in the total grant while the CDGK has had to bear an additional burden of Rs1,881 million due to the 20 per cent increase in the salaries and pensions of employees, which created a shortfall of almost Rs3 billion for the city government during the next financial year.

However, he pledged that despite resource constraints, the Haq Parast leadership would continue to serve the city without any discrimination.

According to APP, the budget envisages the highest allocation of Rs18.75 billion for development while Rs2.424 billion has been set aside for 18 towns and 178 union councils. The city government’s own resources have been indicated as major means of income besides Rs9.8 billion grants to be received from the government, Rs1 billion from the KBCA and Rs550 million to be recovered as octroi dues against the KESC.

Besides the completion of ongoing development works and new uplift projects, a major allocation of Rs10.531 billion has been made for the works and services department.

In the budget, Rs9.627 billion have been allocated for education, Rs3.556 billion for health, Rs2.465 billion for the annual development programme, Rs2.541 billion for the newly established municipal services department and Rs531.7 million for the mass transit cell.