Finance Dept ordered to avoid cuts on approved schemes

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has directed the Finance Department to avoid financial cut on approved schemes of subsidised agriculture inputs and other initiatives aimed at economic development and welfare of common people.
He said that development schemes must not be tampered with once properly worked out and approved by competent forums.The chief minister warned that the authorities if found creating impediments in development and service delivery activities in the name of rationalisation or any other pretext would be shown the door.
He also approved the formula for distributing tobacco cess among seven tobacco growing districts of the province except for Swabi for which he ordered to work it out again to ascertain its due share being the largest tobacco growing district.
A handout said the chief minister issued these directives while presiding over a meeting regarding utilisation of tobacco cess at the CM Secretariat.Besides others, the meeting was attended by Senior Minister for Health and Information Technology Shahram Tarakai, Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Jamshedud Din Kakakhel, Minister for Revenue Ali Amin Gandapur and Minister for Agriculture Inayatullah Gandapur.
The meeting was informed that Rs219.63 million was distributed among seven tobacco growing districts and out of this amount the share of Swabi district was fixed at 114.83 million for the fiscal 2013-14.
It was told that tobacco cess was being used for special maintenance and development of roads, promotion of education besides other activities towards tobacco production in these districts.