PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa senior minister Sirajul Haq announced the provincial budget for fiscal year 2014-15 amounting to Rs404.8 billion on Saturday.
The budget was announced during a session of the provincial assembly presided over by Asad Qaisar.
The provincial senior minister said that the volume of the budget has been increased 20 percent as compared to the outgoing fiscal year. He said that the province will receive Rs227 billion from federal divisible pool and Rs35 billion as the foreign projects assistance.
Sirajul Haq said that the province’s own resources have been estimated at Rs28.7 billion.
The minister said that over Rs219 billion have been proposed for welfare schemes, more than Rs45 billion for administrative purposes and Rs139 billion for the Annual Development Programme (ADP). He said that 1,251 projects including 711 ongoing and 540 new schemes would be completed under the ADP.
The senior minister said that special attention has been paid in the new budget to promotion of education, health, holding local government election, rehabilitation of the damaged infrastructure, revival of sick industries, protection of labour rights, launching energy projects, elimination of unemployment, social injustice and to check price hike and eliminate the VIP culture.
A record amount of Rs111 billion has been allocated for the education sector showing 33 percent increase as compared to the outgoing fiscal year.
The provincial government has proposed Rs8 billion for health, Rs4 billion for irrigation, over Rs3 billion for hydel projects, Rs14 billion for the regional development and Rs10 billion for communication, the minister announced.
The senior minister said that an oil and gas company will be established to explore oil and gas deposits in Kohat, Hangu and Karak. He said that rehabilitation project will be launched for special persons to make them useful citizen of the society.
The finance minister said that Rs6 billion will be provided as subsidy for providing food items to poor people on concessional rates.
Moreover, he also announced 10 percent increase in the salaries and pension of government employees.
Sirajul Haq said that special attention has been paid in the new budget to overcome unemployment, promote business activities and speedy development of education and health sectors. He further said that a health insurance scheme will be launched for the welfare of poor people.
