PaK presents Rs 47 bn budget

NISAR AHMED THOKAR

Islamabad, June 18: Announcing big sops for its employees, the Pak administered Kashmir government today presented a Rs 47.33 billion budget for 2010-11.

Minister for finance Raja Nisar Ahmad Khan presented the budget at a special session chaired by speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir in the legislative assembly. The opposition staged a walkout blaming the government for not taking it on board before presenting the budget.

The budget earmarks Rs 11.17 billion for development schemes and over Rs 30 billion for non-development programs. The budget carries big sops for the government employees whose salaries have been raised by 50 per cent.

While Rs 4.66 billion have been allocated to meet the expenditure on account of salary hike, Rs 98 crore grant has been announced separately to increase the pay of police personnel. The finance minister said a comprehensive reconstruction program had been launched to accomplish work in the quake-hit areas. “Over 1000 projects have been completed and the work is going on over 2000 other projects whereas 1800 development projects would be launched in next financial year,” he said.

The minister hailed Pakistan government for “its generous support for the development and prosperity PaK.” However, he added that even as the PaK government was expecting 10-14 per cent increase in the grants from federation government due to rising inflation, “we faced cut this year.”

He said if the adequate share of the federal taxes, incomes generated from the hydle projects and other properties and resources from PaK was given to “us we won’t need further grants/aid from the federal government.”

Sectoral allocations

On sectoral allocations Khan said over Rs 4185.343 million had been earmarked for the development of infrastructure including the transport, roads and communication.

He said the education sector would receive Rs 828.811 million, Rs 149.394 million rupee will go to agriculture and live stocks, Rs 40.377 million to civil defense, Rs 171.607 million to development authorities, Rs 20.189 million to environment, Rs 916.487 million to foreign aided projects, Rs 361.380 million to forestry, fisheries and wild life.

He said Rs 308.147 had been earmarked for health, Rs 20.189 for information and media development, Rs 228.132 million for information technology, Rs 165.548 million for industries and minerals, Rs 1500 for electricity, Rs 766.160 million for physical planning and housing, Rs 110.369 million for research and development, Rs 34.321 million for social welfare, Rs 171.924 million for sports and Rs 196.587 million for tourism.

Non-development expenditure has been estimated to over Rs 36.71 billion.

Revenue

Revenue receipts of Rs 11,672.15 million have been estimated from its own resources, Rs 750 million from water uses charges, Rs 4500 million from Kashmir Council, Rs 6680 million from federal tax share. Revenue deficit has been put at Rs 5555 million which will be met by grant from the federal government. There is a budget deficit of Rs.17.5 billion.