while its expenditures had increased manifold.
Owing to this situation, he explained, the KMC was unable to start development activities with its own resources. He said the agency found it cumbersome to even pay salaries to its staff which amounted to more than a billion rupees each month.
Soomro said other essential expenditures to be made by the KMC included feeding the animals kept in zoo and Safari Park, funds required for providing health and medical facilities at KMC hospitals, charges and other official expenses. He said these expenses totalled to about Rs2.5billion.
“It was not easy to prepare a budget in such conditions but we still tried to provide the people with a balanced plan for the next fiscal year,” he said. “No new tax has been applied on the people. I am thankful to the Sindh government for providing all possible support to the KMC by providing us with Rs13 billion in the upcoming financial year.”
The KMC has plans to implement a number of development projects in various parts of the city during 2015-2016. In this regard, it has earmarked a sum of Rs14.2 billion, including Rs6.4 billion for its engineering department.
The projects include construction of a commercial parking plaza in Shahabuddin market at a cost of Rs350 million, construction of Zulfiqarabad oil tankers terminal at a cost of Rs300 million, installation of wireless video surveillance system at a cost of Rs269 million, construction of a boundary wall around city’s graveyards at a cost of Rs250 million, development works in Orangi Cottage Industrial Zone Rs250 million, addition of cardiac emergency centre in KMC hospital in Shah Faisal Coloyn at a cost odf Rs208.6 million, construction and rehabilitation works of dispensaries, hospitals and mother and child health care centres at a cost of Rs189.8 million, construction and rehabilitation of Shara-e-Noorjehan at a cost of Rs157.3 million, repair of flyovers, bridges and underpasses at a cost of Rs100 million, purchase of animals for Safari Park and zoos at a cost of Rs55 million and building another parking plaza in block 7 of Clifton area at an estimated cost of Rs50 million.