TIMERGARA, July 5: The annual budget of Lower Dir district for the fiscal year 2008-09 was presented in the district council hall at Balambat on Saturday.

The District Nazim, Ahmad Hassan Khan, presented the surplus budget with a total outlay of Rs1,514.2632 million. The budget session was presided over by convener Zaher Shah.

Unveiling the budget, the district nazim said Rs1,404.828 million had been earmarked for non-developmental expenditures out of which Rs1,285.840 million had been allocated for salaries of government employees, while Rs118.988 million had been set aside for non-salary head.

He said that the rest of the amount i.e. Rs109.4352 million had been allocated for developmental expenditures to be spent in different sectors. The district nazim said that under developmental expenditures Rs32.286 million had been specified for district annual development programme, Rs27.987 million for local funds of district nazim, district naib nazim and 37 union council nazim offices, Rs2.2522 million for gender reform action plan, Rs46.778 million for national programme for improvement of water courses and Rs0.132 million for NCHD feeder schools in the district.

He said that Rs3.732 million would be spent on citizen community boards’ (CCBs) ongoing schemes, Rs1.273 million on district resource centre for women, Rs0.9792 million day care centre, Rs22.880 million had been specified for 37 union councils, Rs1.278 million for district nazim office and Rs3.829 million for district naib nazim office, the district nazim added.

Ahmad Hassan maintained that though new tax had not been levied, however to increase the revenue of the district this year the council decided to increase some of its exchequers coming from the health department.

He said that the OPD chit fee had been increased by Rs2, laboratory test fee by Rs10, X-ray fee by Rs15, hospital admission fee by Rs10, taxi stand DHQ Timergara fee by Rs5 and hospital ambulance fee by Rs7 per kilometre. About the income of the district, Hassan said that the opening balance for the year 2008-09 was Rs7.550 million, while Rs25.423 million would come from zila tax.

In his budget speech, the district nazim remarked that most of the development funds would be spent on roads of more importance therefore nazims should prefer them in preparing their ADP schemes.

Earlier the district nazim also presented the revised budget for the year 2007-08 and directed the participants to analyse how the district government had improved its performance.

The nazim paid tributes to the provincial government and the Provincial Finance Minister, Humayun Khan, for his cooperation in increasing the share of the district at the provincial level.

He said that the district would get Rs22.1 million more this year from the provincial finance commission award as compared to the previous one, adding that Lower Dir would get 45 per cent increase in share as compared to an increase of 14 per cent in share of other districts.

Ahmad Hassan Khan rejected the allegations of corruption against local governments and clarified that it was the best system of governance as it was serving as a nursery of politics. He demanded of the federal and provincial governments not to wind up the system, rather make it more active and functional by bringing positive reforms in the system.

The nazim also demanded of the NWFP government to extend the period of the Dir Area Support Project at least by one year and approve another development project for the backward area before winding it up. About the progress of the monitoring committees he said that he was not much satisfied with its performance.

He said that keeping in view the importance of the monitoring committees their members should improve their performance. The convener adjourned the session for two days and directed the members to ensure their presence in budget debate session to be held on Monday next. He did not allow members of the council to speak on the occasion and adjourned the session.