PESHAWAR - The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly on Tuesday concluded debate on the provincial budget for the year 2017-18 and approved four demands for grants amounting to Rs6 billion.
The KP Assembly met with Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and Opposition leader Maulana Lutfur Rehman also attended the proceedings.
The approved demands for grants were pertaining to the Provincial Assembly, the Chief Minister Secretariat, Planning and Development and Finance Departments.
It was followed by various cut-motions about different government departments.
ANP lawmaker Sardar Hussian Babak, Jaffar Shah, PML-N’s Sheraz Khan, Zia-ur-Rehman, Sobia Shahid, Amna Sardar, Irshad Khan and PPP’s Salim Khan and Fakhr-e-Azam Wazir moved various cut-motions about the law and order, finance and planning and development other departments.
Sardar Babak said that the PTI-led government was not releasing developmental funds to districts on an equal basis. Amna Sardar said that the planning and development department was having no mega project related development women, which was regrettable.
MPA Jaffar Shah said that development funds should be released in all 12 months of the year rather than only in the month of June. Responding to various cut motions, Finance Minister Muzaffar Said Advocate said that the provincial government was taking steps to release maximum funds for the developmental projects.
The opposition members withdrew their cut motions after assurance of the finance minister about the release of funds.
Responding to various questions raised by the opposition members, CM Khattak told the House that the government would make legislation to release 50 percent funds for the launching of development projects in the new fiscal year.
He said that the provincial government has signed MoUs with China about 80 development projects. He said that non-government organisations would have to consult first with the elected representatives of the constituency concerned before launching any development projects.
The provincial government, Khattak said, would release funds to provincial lawmakers on time if it timely gets its share of funds from the federal government.
He dispelled the impression of irregularities in the allotment of residences, saying they were allotted on the basis of strict merit.
He assured maintaining a complete transparency in the allotment of flats. The chair adjourned the sitting till 2pm today.
