HARIPUR, July 12: District Nazim Yusaf Ayub Khan here on Thursday presented a Rs1.314 billion budget of Haripur for the fiscal year 2007-8. In the budget, a big chunk of Rs 998.054 million has been earmarked for the salaries of 10,008 employees and Rs128.04 million for non-salary expenses of the devolved departments of the district.

Only Rs178.99 million will be spent on development of the 45 union councils.

However, the nazim said the district expected to receive Rs450 million from the federal government on account of net hydel profit and a special grant for development.

He said the district would receive Rs81.098 million on account of zila tax and Rs27.076 million for new development schemes under the Provincial Finance Commission award.

An amount of Rs43.043 million has been allocated for 17 devolved departments under the head of ‘other expenses,’ including electricity charges and medicines.

Out of the development outlay of Rs178.99 million, Rs10 million has been allocated for the maintenance and repair of roads, Rs42.017 million for electricity schemes, Rs23.021 million for small repairs in the department of schools and literacy, Rs8.16 million for class consumable items for the education department and Rs1.51 million will be spent on purchase of medicines for hospitals.

The nazim said Rs47.68 million had been allocated for ongoing development schemes, Rs20.08 million for new plans and Rs6.95 million for citizens’ community boards’ (CCB) projects.

In the received budget of the newly devolved water management department from the provincial government, Rs7.18 million has been earmarked for non-salary expenditure and Rs19.03 million for lining of watercourses in the district.

The nazim said that despite less allocations and some tough decisions taken by the provincial government while announcing the PFC Award, the district government had tried to make a development oriented budget without new taxes.

He said that although taxes had been levied in some other districts to generate income, the Haripur government had decided not to take such a step because he did not want to put burden on what he called the deprived communities.

He said that in the budget the district government had focused its attention on bringing improvement in the facilities of government primary schools, potable water, repair and maintenance of pipeline networks and pumping machinery, district roads, encouragement of talented students, health care and sports activities.

He informed the council that in line with directives of the provincial government the funds for development in educational institutions would be spent through the parents-teachers council.

He said that under the Annual Development Programme, schemes costing up to Rs500,000 would be implemented through project committees.

He said a System Application Product had been introduced for ensuring transparency in the financial matters of government departments and added that payments in future would be made under it.

The nazim said the district government had decided to introduce one-window operation soon for development schemes of the CCBs.

Safdar Zaman presided over the budget session of the district council.