RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: Maiden surplus and tax free Budget of Rs297.558mn for District Council Matairi was presented on Friday at Latif Hall, District Council Secretariat. The Budget session for financial year 2017-18 was chaired by Chairman District Council Matairi Makhdoom Fakhar Zaman.

The surplus budget was approved by the house after brief discussion and some suggestions by the council members. A major chunk of Rs165.50 million has been earmarked for development expenditures, which will be utilized on construction of roads, CC blocks, installation of water pumps, turbine motors and schemes for disposal of drainage water, said Makhdoom Fakhar. Rs3.10 million have been kept for natural disasters, besides Rs1.10 million will be utilized for awarding scholarships to deserving and meritorious students, sports activities and welfare of poor and needy persons.

The non-development expenditure includes Rs736.73 million for salaries of employees,Rs116.56 million for running of office matters while Rs351.35 million will be utilized under the head of new expenditure which includes supply of sewing machines for widows and other deserving women, purchasing of furniture, computers, power generators, new vehicles, fumigation machines, electricity equipment for rural areas, biometric machines, video/CCTV cameras installation and other gadgets for improvement of sanitation and drainage system in rural areas of the district.

At the outset of his budget speech Chairman informed the House that major income of the district council is from OZT and property tax adding that we have received Rs193.67 million from OZT share, generated 161.50 million from our own sources and Rs877.35 million are from closing balance of outgoing fiscal year 2017-18.

Addressing the budget session Makhdoom Fakhar said that he was feeling proud to present the tax free maiden budget of district council Matiari adding that district council Matiari has taken lead in presenting the budget, no any council in the province has yet presented its budget, credit for this goes to employees and members of the council, he said. Two basic salaries were announced for employees of the district council for their hard work in timely preparation of budget.

He also announced to regularize the services of 47 district council employees which were working on contract basis since long. He said PPP government has always provided jobs to jobless people and by confirming the services of these employees 47 families will get benefit.

Makhdoom Fakhar said that major source of income for district was Zila Tax which was abolished by federal government in 1999 which put district councils in crisis besides district councils were made non-functional from 2001 to 2010. Chairman District Council Matiari said that after a span of 24 years credit for reviving the District Councils goes to PPP which reinstated the local government system under 1979 local government ordinance.