BAHAWALPUR, June 30: The District Council on Monday approved the surplus budget of Rs4.4 billion for the fiscal year 2008-2009 here on Monday.

District nazim Tariq Cheema told reporters that he had presented the eighth successive tax-free budget in the house.

Spelling out the salient features of the budget, the district nazim said that budgetary allocations had been made with the expectation of receiving Rs3.04 billion interim award from the government.

He said that Rs1.42 billion had been allocated for the development projects, including Rs298.195 million for new projects, Rs625.581 million for on-going schemes and Rs625.581 million for the citizen community boards (CCBs).

Some of the opposition members, including Sahibzada Umar Daud Abbasi, also addressed the budget session.