Rs6.19b budget for Charsadda approved

CHARSADDA: The district councilon Friday approved Rs 6.19 billion budget for the fiscal year 2016-17.The district council’s meeting with the speaker Masawir Shah was convened at 10am which started two hours late.

District Nazim Fahad Riaz presented the Rs6.19billion budget. It included Rs234 million non-salary expenditures, Rs5,291 million salary expenditures, Rs451 million development, Rs61 million for the expenditure of the district council while Rs153 revival development funds.

The opposition continued thumping the desk during the district nazim budget speech, claiming that the budget meeting was illegal and unlawful.They tore apart the budget copies and broke the tea cups during the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, opposition leader Qasim Ali Khan said that opposition had not been consulted before the budget session and added that finance committee’s recommendations were also ignored.

Meanwhile, council members of the Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl led by opposition leader Qasim Ali Khan asked the district administration to probe embezzlement of funds in the district government.They said that they would take the issue to the National Accountability Bureau if the district administration did not take notice.