NAWABSHAH, July 5: The district council unanimously approved Rs2.796 billion budget for 2007-08 with a surplus of Rs191.398 million after it was presented by District Nazim Faryal Talpur at the council’s special session on Thursday.

Convener Abdul Haq Jamali presided over the session.

The nazim said in her speech that the district’s expected income stood at Rs2,796.110 million while its estimated expenditure came to Rs2,604.72 million, showing a surplus of Rs191.3897 million.

She said that out of total projection, Rs30.433 million had been allocated for district nazim secretariat, Rs70.497 million for district naib nazim secretariat, Rs36.619 million for DCO office, Rs994.580 million for education, Rs167.148 million for health, Rs55.044 million for highways and bridges, Rs21.769 million for finance and planning, Rs59.586 million for revenue, Rs32.898 million for administration, Rs17.226 million for community development department, Rs13.750 million for buildings and structures, Rs63.963 million for agriculture, Rs7.525 million for information technology, Rs2.086 million for law, Rs5.247 million for civil defence and Rs432.662 million Annual Development Programme including CCBs (citizen community boards), Rs127.167 million for Sindh Devolved Social Services Programme (SDSSP), Rs19.010 million for sugar cess schemes whereas Rs.122.400 million had been set aside for union administration funds.

She blamed former DCO for bringing development activities in the district to a grinding halt through his arbitrary decisions, which delayed work on ADP 2006-07 new schemes, left unfinished maintenance and repair work, stopped implementation of the National Gender Reforms Action Plan for women development and DERA-II. He did not process sugar cess and did not release health budget as well, she said.

She said that out of 335 ongoing and new schemes of ADP, 32 schemes pertained to roads, agriculture, water supply and drainage. Fifty units of education and 11 units of health sectors had been completed, she added.

Ms Talpur said that the remaining 303 schemes and 354 units were included in the ongoing schemes of ADP 2007-08.

She said that 11 primary schools, three high and three middle schools and schemes for the construction of 21 additional class rooms had been completed at a cost of Rs46 million.

A total of 35 units of primary schools and construction of additional class rooms had been completed with Rs29.595 million and classes for postgraduate and BS (computer science) started in the district after approval by the University of Sindh, she said.

In roads sector, 26 schemes had been completed with Rs69.996 million whereas in health sector, 13 mother and child care centres had been completed with Rs16.393 million and 13 dispensaries had been constructed, she said.

About targets for 2007-08, she said that 35 ongoing schemes for road sector, seven for education and three for health would be completed and 15 union council buildings would be completed at a cost of Rs20 million.

She said that she was trying her best to have a campus of Sindh University established in Nawabshah, ensure 100 per cent literacy rate, expand industrial zone, provide free health services, establish district diagnostic laboratory and get a cadet college constructed for girls in the district.

Syed Munir Shah, chairman of district council's accounts and finance committee, expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of EDO of finance and planning and other district government offices.