DADU: Members of ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and putative opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Monday showed rare unity at the first meeting of Dadu district council to pass unanimously a tax-free over Rs900 million budget for fiscal year 2023-24.

The budget was made up of Rs2770 million OZT, revenue income is Rs614.338 revenue, Rs1.832 million capital income with Rs8m balance and 35 per cent increase, said Chairman Syed Muhammad who presented the budget.

According to breakup of the budget, Rs245.999m has been set aside for salaries, Rs100m for pensions, Rs4760m for development, Rs10m for natural calamities, various institutions including certified graduates; Rs10m for district council employees’ association, press clubs across the district, books for libraries, healthcare of district council officers, national days, sports, fairs, cultural days, grants for the poor and scholarships for meritorious students; and Rs3.6m has been allocated for miscellaneous expenses.

Members of both the ruling and opposition parties unanimously approved the budget.

The chairman said in his speech: “I was handed over the reins of the district council amid a very desperate situation and felt that the three-year administrative period from 2020 to 2023 has left the council in ruins”.

He said the without special grant from the provincial government, it would be very difficult to run affairs of the district. “Still, I have faith in my leadership that they will help us and I will try to help the flood-ravaged and backward areas of the district,” he said.

He said that he hoped the Sindh government would provide them special grants and aid to help the district meet expectations of people and enable them to carry out developmental work on a priority basis.

The house condemned the Sweden incident and offered prayers for the departed souls of former members of the council, including Sardar Mir Manzoor Panhwar.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2023