PESHAWAR : Holding education as its top priority in its third consecutive budget, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated it Rs97.542 billion for the financial year 2015-16.It has increased the education budget by 21 percent compared with the current fiscal year. The overall increase is inclusive of the 10 percent raise in salaries and pension as well as the transfer of commerce and management sciences institutions from the Department of Technical Education to the Higher Education Department. The budget estimates for Elementary and Secondary Education are Rs88.274 billion. According to the “White Paper” produced along with the budget, this amounts to 29.6 percent increase than the total current revised revenue expenditure of Rs75.025 billion. Rs9.268 billion have been allocated for higher education for 2015-16 against Rs6.002 billion in the current financial year.The “White Paper” said the allocations for higher education have been increased by 54.41 percent mainly due to the transfer of colleges of Commerce and Management Sciences from the department of Technical Education to Higher Education Department. The budget document said that out of the allocations for elementary and secondary education, the major chunk of Rs79.974 billion went to salaries and Rs8.3 billions to other non-development expenditures both at the provincial and district level. Provincial Finance Minister Muzaffar Said in his budget speech counted certain main development schemes envisaged by the provincial government envisaged for the next financial year.He said 150 new primary schools and 100 secondary schools for boys and girls would be set up in the 25 districts of the province. He said 50 girls’ middle schools would be upgraded and information technology laboratories would be set up in 500 high and higher secondary schools.He said 500 community schools would be established for promotion of basic education. He announced to set up new colleges in the province on need baseis The minister also announced upgradation of the Havelian Campus of Hazara University into a full-fledged university. The establishment of a university for women in Mardan and a sub-campus of University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar in Dir Upper was also announced. He said proper survey would be conducted to determine the actual number of out-of-school children.The minister said new furniture would be provided to the schools at a cost of Rs1.5 billion. He added construction of a separate building for Elementary Education Foundation would be started. Muzaffar Said added that Government College of Management Science for Girls in Swabi and for boys in Dir Upper would be established. He said buildings would be constructed for Government Colleges of Management Science in Buner, Charsadda and Dera Ismail Khan. He said that uniform curriculum for education in the province would be expanded, scholarships would be given for talented students, and steps would be taken for the capacity building of teachers. The minister said that Rs10.2 billion had been allocated for development projects in primary and secondary education, which would be spent on a total of 71 projects, including 49 ongoing and 22 new schemes. He added 20 percent of the districts’ budget had been allocated for education.The minister said Rs5.518 billion would be spent on 67 projects, including 39 ongoing and 28 new schemes in the higher education sector. Mushtaq Yusufzai: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday increased the health budget for the fiscal year 2015-16 by 19 percent.The government also announced creation of 2,465 jobs in the Health Department in 2015. Terming the health sector another priority of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government, Finance Minister Syed Muzaffar Said during his budget speech said the government had increased the health budget from Rs25, 237.123 million for 2014-15 to Rs29, 953.440 million for the financial year 2015-16. The budget for the Health Department included funds for the provincial and district health institutions. The raise in the budget for health sector is, however, considered insignificant as most of the funds would be used to pay the salaries of the employees. Out of Rs29, 953.440 million health budget, Rs22, 899.920 million would straightaway go to salaries of employees and Rs7, 053.520 million would be spent on non-salary expenditures. Only Rs12, 432.594 million was allocated for development projects in the health sector.Last year, the government had allocated Rs9, 987.893 million for development works in the health sector. The minister said the government was committed to eradicating malaria, dengue, hepatitis, TB and thalassaemia. He said Rs8.28 billion had been allocated for strengthening the District Headquarters Hospitals, Rural Health Centres and Basic Health Units. Out of 93 projects, the minister said 13 had been completed.He said the government had spent Rs122 million on purchase of equipment for ophthalmology and gynecology wards and Rs55 million on upgradation of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) Peshawar. He said the government provided free treatment to 43, 000 poor patients suffering from tuberculosis. He added that 1,200 cancer patients were also treated free of charge.The government didn’t announce any increase in the budget of the overburdened tertiary care hospitals and other health institutions. In 2014-15, the government allocated Rs7, 578.55 million as grant-in-aid for autonomous health institutions and the amount has been increased to Rs8, 608.84 million in 2015-16.The government announced 9.18 percent increase in the budget of Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) to raise it from Rs1762.998 million to Rs1,924.970 million. The Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) got 11.03 percent raise and its budget was increased from Rs1066.512 million to Rs1, 187.025 million.Khyber Medical College (KMC) got 16.06 percent raise in its budget. Its budget was increased from Rs425.036 million to Rs495.608 million. The budget for Khyber College of Dentistry (KCD) was increased from Rs214.068 million to Rs222.678 million. The Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) got the maximum raise of 31.66 percent, followed by the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) with 26.51 percent increase in its budget. The provincial government increased the PGMI’s budget from Rs1298.127 million to Rs1, 709.136 million.The HMC’s budget was enhanced from Rs834.415 million to Rs1, 055.603 million. The government increased funds for Ayub Teaching Hospital Abbottabad (ATH) from Rs895.146 million to Rs939.821 million. Ironically, the government decreased 9.29 percent funds of Ayub Medical College (AMC), which is the second oldest public sector medic college in the province after KMC. Its budget was reduced from Rs540.389 million to Rs490.180 million. The Institute of Kidney Diseases Peshawar (IKD) got 7. 79 percent increase as its budget was enhanced from Rs234.551 million to Rs252.762 million.The Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology at the Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar got 7.58 percent raise from Rs33.309 million to Rs35.834 million. The Khyber Girls Medical College Peshawar (KGMC) secured 8.51 percent raise as its budget was increased from Rs248.634 million to Rs269.785 million.The under-construction Bashir Bilour Memorial Children Hospital in Hayatabad, Peshawar got the lowest raise of 0.29 percent from Rs25.364 million to Rs25.438 million.
