The Awami National Party and Pakistan People’s Party coalition government will today (Saturday) present its budgetary proposals for the coming fiscal year in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.
Finance Minister Muhammad Humayun Khan will be delivering the budget speech in the House.
Official sources said the provincial government’s budget was estimated to be of around Rs 351 billion, with a development outlay of Rs 91 billion for the Annual Development Programme. Keeping in view the threats of militancy and terrorism, the government has proposed an allocation of Rs 18 billion for the purpose.
Humayun Khan has already said that the amount was being allocated for the province by the federal government. Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa’s share in the National Finance Commission Ward is estimated to be around Rs 90 million.
The provincial government will receive Rs 191 billion from the federal divisible pool on the basis of 16.4 percent, while receipts from the hydel sector are estimated to be over Rs 30 billion. Receipts from the oil and gas sector are estimated at Rs 9.75 billion. The provincial government has proposed 100 percent increase in the Tameer-e-Pakistan amount for MPAs. Earlier, each MPA was allowed to propose schemes costing up to Rs 10 million, but the allowance has been increased to Rs 20 million.
The provincial government is also likely to announce an increase in allocations for the social sector, with an aim of setting up 200 primary schools in all 25 districts. The sources said the government had also decided to construct new housing schemes near to major cities like Peshawar and Abbottabad.
In this respect, Rs 312. 5 million are likely to be proposed for a Big City on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway near Swabi.
Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti has already inaugurated a new housing scheme near Abbottabad at Havelian, while the government has also initiated efforts to build the Asfandyar Wali Khan City near Peshawar.
The government would also be making reasonable allocations for the less developed districts in the province, the sources said. The focus of this project would be Torghar district, Buner, Kohistan, Shangla and Upper Dir.