Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani presided over the assembly sitting which started 20 minutes late than its schedule time. - File photo

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday passed the Balochistan Fiscal Budget 2011-12 unanimously.

Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani presided over the assembly sitting which started 20 minutes late than its schedule time.

Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd tabled 50 demands of grants of the financial budget 2011-12 including 41 pertaining to non-development expenditures and nine to development expenditures.

The house approved Rs 97.86 billion of non-development expenditures and Rs 31.35 billion of development expenditures.

The lawmakers passed Rs 129.21 billion of total 50 demands of grants including non-development and development expenditures.

Earlier, before tabling the demands of grants of the financial budget 2011-12, a row emerged between Speaker Muhammad Aslam Bhootani and Minister for Revenue and Local Government Eng. Zamarak Khan Piralizai and Minister for Industries Syed Ehsan Shah when they asserted that they wanted to participate in question hour but the Speaker did not allow them.

The Speaker contended that the rules and regulations of the assembly did not allow a minister to be the questioner in question hour.

However, the Chief Minister of Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani interfered into the matter and asked the Speaker that the issue would be discussed during Wednesday’s session of the house whether a minister could ask a question from another minister during the question hour or not.

Later, the chair adjourned the house till Wednesday, June 28 at 11am.