Karachi: 6 towns to spend Rs 2.72b next year

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Jamil Khan
KARACHI: On the last day of the 2007-08 fiscal year, five more towns presented their budgets after obtaining approval from their town councils for the next fiscal year 2008-09 on Monday.

Landhi Town: Town Nazim Dr Irshad Ahmed presented a budget of Rs 526.52 million for the new year, with a surplus of Rs 96,000. The Landhi Town Council, in a meeting chaired by Zakir Qureshi, approved the budget unanimously. TMO Noman Arshad, Council Officer Muhammad Irshad Arain, council members and town officials were present on the occasion.

Nazim Ahmed said that 50.31 percent of the budget is allocated to development expenses while 49.67 percent is allocated for non-development expenses. The town spokesman said that the budget outlay will be given on Thursday at a local hotel in which details will be given on projects and the problems will be outlined which could be faced by the town due to a lack of funds.

Lyari Town: Acting Town Nazim Mehmood Hashim presented the budget worth Rs 552.01 million, at a local hotel. He said that that prime minister approved the Lyari Development Package worth Rs 1.5 billion and work on dozens of schemes for Lyari will begin in the next couple of months.

He added that in the last two months, the town has received Rs 14 million less in OZT shares, adding to the miseries of the financially-crippled town. The budget contains a surplus of Rs 1.01 million and features Rs 188.92 million (34.19 percent) allocated to development expenses. Rs 82.51 million have been allocated to community centers, internal streets and road and street lighting, Rs 50.71 million are earmarked for construction of roads, inner streets, drains and different buildings and Rs 17.65 million for development and improvement of parks and playgrounds.

"We are very thankful to MNA Nabil Gabol who showed a keen interest in resolving Lyari's decades-old problems and struggled to obtain approval from the PM for the Lyari Development Package," he said. A survey of the areas of old Lyari has been done and soon these areas, including major markets, will be returned to Lyari Town as these markets had been forcibly re-allotted in 2001 and handed over to Saddar Town. "After these markets are returned to Lyari, the town's financial position will improve as a handsome amount will be generated in taxes," he said.

Town Naib Nazim Abdul Rahim Baloch, TMO Afaq Saeed, council members and town officials attended the briefing.

Malir Town: Town Nazim Sharafat Ali presented the town's Rs 441 million-budget, which has a surplus of Rs 300,000, and said that 52.06 percent of the total outlay will be dedicated to the development sector to improve the township's overall situation.

He said that revenues for the next fiscal year include Rs 245.8 million in OZT shares, Rs 91 million from the city government, Rs 24.2 million from different taxes levied by the town administration and Rs 79.9 million from other resources. Rs 124.8 million have been allocated for construction and improvement of buildings, roads, inner streets and footpaths and related work, Rs 39.6 million has been earmarked for streetlights and Rs 13 million for renovation of parks and playgrounds. The nazim highlighted the town administration's performance in the last two and a half years and said they had spent millions of rupees in this period to resolve almost 90 percent of civic issues faced by the town.

"We carpeted dozens of neglected roads, installed hundreds of new streetlights, constructed various parks and spent Rs 100 million in the last six months to resolve various projects which had been delayed," he said. Responding to a question, Ali said that they have decided to outsource recovery of the trade license fee system, which will generate Rs 20 million for the township in the next fiscal year.

Baldia Town: Town Nazim Kamran Akhter presented the Rs 339.4 million budget, which has a surplus of Rs 59,856, at a town council session. The members highlighted the recent deduction in the OZT share which will increase the town's woes. The nazim said that 40 percent of total outlay of the budget was allocated to the development sector.

Baldia Town will receive Rs 242.4 million from OZT and generate Rs 5 million on its own resources by utilizing public-private partnerships. Rs 10 million have been allocated for construction and improvement of roads, Rs 7.5 million for sewerage-related works, Rs 3 million for new water schemes and Rs 2.5 million for parks and playgrounds.

Akhter said that the recent 20 percent increase in government employees' salaries and the deduction in OZT shares will cause multiple problems for the town administration but the administration will do its best nonetheless to develop the town. He demanded that the Sindh government revise its decision to cut the OZT shares and increase funds for all towns.

"The government, which seems to be against the interests of the public, has halted the development process in the city which is generating 68 percent of national revenue by deducting funds," he criticized.

Town Naib Nazim Zahid Mehmood, TMO Ghulam Bashir Jatoi and the heads of the various departments were present at the session.

Korangi Town: Town Nazim Arif Khan vowed to develop Korangi Town as a role model by utilizing all available resources. He presented a budget worth Rs 446.7 million at a press conference.

The budget has a surplus of Rs 6.4 million and allocates 52 percent to the development sector. The town will receive Rs 274.3 million in OZT shares and Rs 69.5 million as a grant from the city government. Rs 144.3 million have been allocated for roads, drains and inner streets while Rs 91.7 million have been allocated for parks, playgrounds and streetlights. Like other town nazims, Khan also said that the reduction in OZT shares will create problems for the town.

Bin Qasim: Town Nazim Jan Alam Jamot presented a budget worth Rs 415.3 million, with a surplus of Rs 10.2 million at a press conference attended by Town Naib Nazim Syed Yousuf Shah, TMO Nadir Wasan and town council members.

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