- Finance Minister Muzafar Said says province will receive Rs 293 billion from the federal divisible pool, Rs 35 billion from the federal govt for war on terror, Rs 19 billion as net hydel profit and Rs 18 billion as arrears of net hydel profit
- Salary, pension of govt employees increased by 10 per cent; Province to build hundreds of primary, secondary, higher secondary and smart schools as well as 500 new IT labs in 2016-17
- Rs 10 billion allocated for health through ADP; Rs 200 million allocated for welfare of transgender community in the province
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced its ‘balanced’ budget of Rs 505 billion for Fiscal Year 2016-17 on Tuesday evening.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced its ‘balanced’ budget of Rs 505 billion for Fiscal Year 2016-17 on Tuesday evening.
Finance Minister Muzafar Said presented the budget in the provincial assembly amid protest by opposition members.
About the revenue targets, the finance minister said the province will receive Rs 293 billion from the federal divisible pool which is 17 per cent more than the amount received in the outgoing fiscal year.
The province will also get Rs 35 billion from the federal government for the war on terror, about Rs 19 billion as net hydel profit, Rs 18 billion as arrears of net hydel profit and Rs 15 billion as incentive on surplus cash balance.
In the new budget, he continued, a special fund of Rs 200 million has also been earmarked for the welfare of transgender community of the province for the first time in the budget history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the budget document, the KP government has allocated Rs 12.45 billion for 72 projects.
Muzafar Said said Rs 10 billion for 64 ongoing and Rs 2.42 billion for eight new projects has been earmarked in the budget.
Salary, pension increased by 10%:
While revealing the salary package for government employees the finance minister announced the merger of 10 per cent interim allowance of 2013-14 into the basic running pay of the provincial government employees. He further announced a 10 per cent increase in salaries of the government employees.
The provincial finance minister also announce a 10 per cent increase in the pension of retired employees and 25 per cent increase in the pension for the employees over 85 years of age. The rise in salaries, pension and allowance will cost Rs 14.20 billion to provincial exchequer.
EDUCATION:
The finance minister said 160 new primary schools and 100 new secondary schools will be constructed for male and female students in the province whereas 100 religious seminaries will be converted into primary schools.
The minister said 200 smart schools will be set-up in the province. He said six cluster hostels for women will be constructed besides bringing improvement in 200 higher secondary schools. He said two cadet colleges each will be set up in Mardan and Swat.
As many as 500 new IT labs will be set up in government’s high and higher secondary schools in the province besides construction of examination halls in 100 high and higher secondary schools in the province.
The names and photos of the martyrs of Army Public School, Peshawar will be displayed in the premises of Archives Library besides repair and restoration of schools in earthquake and flood hit areas of the province. Additionally, repair and reconstruction of 50 already existing schools will be completed on the need basis.
In addition to construction of 1,300 community schools for basic education of female students and monthly stipends of Rs 200 will be given to female students of class VI to class X of 446,000 elementary schools.
HEALTH:
The government has earmarked Rs 10.54 billion in Annual Development Programme (ADP) 2016-17 for health with the main focus on establishment and up-gradation of hospitals and purchase of equipments and providing free treatment facilities to patients.
Free treatment facilities will be provided to poor patients of TB, Cancer and Hepatitis in the province.
The finance minister said a new five-year ‘KP Immunisation Programme’ with financial assistance of GAVI fund will be started besides a new comprehensive programme for controlling Thalassemia, HIV and Hepatitis diseases under which testing and screening facilities will be provided at divisional levels.
“Seht Sahoolat Programme” (Health Facilitative Programme) has been extended to the entire province which would facilitate 1.738 million poor families to get free treatment for fatal diseases through a health insurance scheme.
A DHQ hospital in Swabi will be reconstructed besides up-gradation of Civil Hospital Shakara Dara Kohat and Rural Health Centre Ogi Manshera to category D hospitals.
Land will be acquired for construction of Guju Khan Medical College Swabi and a medical college at Timergara, Lower Dir will be constructed besides setting up of Khyber Institute of Neurosciences Research Centre in Mardan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical College Peshawar.
INFRASTRUCTURE:
The KP government has allocated Rs 10.80 billion for 330 projects with the main focus on repair and construction of roads, bridges and expressways.
In his budget speech, Finance Minister Muzaffar Said said the focus will be on the repair of roads and bridges as well as construction of 650 kilometer of roads and completion of 17 RCC bridges.
The government has allocated Rs 460 million for 27 projects pertaining to uplift of social welfare, special education and women’s development.
Status of special education institutes will be up-gradated to elementary schools at divisional level in the province. The government will also take initiatives for welfare of transvestite and baggers.
The capacity of special education centres will be enhanced besides the establishment of a centre to facilitate transvestites.
MORE EDUCATION PROJECTS:
A social welfare complex at Nowshera and a complex for special education at Lower Dir will also be constructed besides imparting embroidery skills to 3,125 women.
The minister said a state-of-the-art ‘Zamon Kor’ (Our House) model institute for street children will be constructed besides starting of a survey to find out the number of special children so that effective planning can be done for their welfare and education.
The KP government has allocated Rs 4.78 billion for 60 projects in higher education in ADP 2016-17 in the budget with the main focus on construction of colleges and setting up of a Criminology and Forensic Science Institute at University of Peshawar (UoP) besides establishment of 10 new government colleges on need basis in the province.
Presenting the budget for Fiscal Year 2016-17 on the floor of the assembly, Finance Minister Muzaffar Said said that Rs 4.784 billion have been allocated for 60 projects in higher education including Rs 3.6385 billion for 45 ongoing projects and Rs 1.1454 billion for 15 news projects in the province.
In addition to enhancing the capacity of Jahanzaib College Swat, colleges in earthquake affected areas will be repaired and rehabilitated besides provision of facilities at the government libraries and financial assistance to Pashto Academy and sub campus of Bannu University at Lakki Marwat.
Academic blocks at Ghulam Ishaq Institute of Engineering and Technology Swabi will be constructed besides up-gradation of Abdul Wali Khan University and setting up of a sub campus of Engineering University at Upper Dir in addition to up-gradation of the sub campus of Chitral University to a full university.
