NAWABSHAH, July 8: A Rs1,953.382 million budget of the district government was app-roved on Saturday. Opposition members belonging to the Nawabshah Awami Ittehad and the MQM boycotted the session.

District Nazim Faryal Talpur presented the budget. Convenor Abdul Haq Jamali presided over the session.

The budget has a total income of Rs1,953.382 million and estimate expenditure of Rs1,948.803 million showing a surplus of Rs5.029 million.

About Rs925.718 million has been allocated for salary and non-salary components of the education department, Rs207.426 million for health, Rs108.796 million for construction and transport, Rs22.809 million for finance and planning, Rs35.530 million for revenue, excise and taxation and land management, Rs7.304 million for recreation and culture, Rs18.437 million for community development, Rs51.469 million for agriculture, food, irrigation, forestry and fishing, Rs1.942 million for attorney and legal affairs, Rs66.161 million for district nazim and naib nazim secretariats, Rs33.100 million for the district coordination officer and civil defence.

Ms Talpur said that there were in all 342 total ADP schemes during 2005-06, of which, 57 schemes of roads, water supply and drainage schemes besides education sector comprising of 91 units and 15 units of health sector were completed at a cost of Rs226.204 million.

The remaining 285 schemes have been incorporated in the portfolio of ongoing schemes in the ADP 2006-07 for which an amount of Rs308.641 million has been allocated.

She said that out of 272 ongoing and new schemes of road sector, 41 schemes had been completed at an approved cost of Rs100.921 million whereas 107 kilometres of construction road were also completed and the remaining schemes were reflected as on-going in 2006-07.

She said that urban drainage scheme phase-III Nawabshah, rural drainage scheme in Gharibabad, Nawab Bhutto and Noor Bhora were also completed.

In the health sector, she said that three schemes along with 15 units were completed, three new ambulances were provided for health centres, available ambulances were repaired and polio was controlled with efforts of the health department.

She said that target of pakka watercourses, wheat and cotton sowing targets were successfully achieved and all vaccination centres for animal husbandry were working satisfactorily.

She said that Rs50 million, out of Rs52.623 million, received as conditional grants under the Sindh Devolved Social Services Programme (SDSSP) were utilized in education and health sectors for rehabilitation of 110 existing elementary schools and health units.

Giving the future proposals, she said that a cadet college for girls would be established in Nawabshah, single section high school in Sakrand and Trimore, two-rooms building to 36 shelterless primary schools, upgradation of eight primary schools, provision of 58 additional classrooms to existing elementary schools, provision of water filter plants and coolers to high schools and provision of science laboratories and sports halls in existing high schools.