QUETTA: Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri has presented Rs289.356 billion annual budget of Balochistan for fiscal year 2016-17.
The Rs36.485 billion deficit budget was unveiled in the session of the Balochistan Assembly, presided over by Speaker Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani.
The new fiscal budget includes Rs218.174 billion of non-development expenditures and Rs71.182 billion of Annual Development Programme. The 10 percent increase in salaries of government employees was made and 3,222 new jobs in government departments for unemployed youth were created in the new budget.
The income of the province during new fiscal year 2016-17 will be over Rs252.871 billion which includes federal receipts from the center under National Finance Commission Award, divisible pool and on other different heads. It will also receive Rs10 billion from Islamabad in head of Gas Development Surcharge.
As per details, the receipts from the divisible pool are Rs182.605 billion, direct transfers over Rs14.238 billion, others Rs10 billion and capital revenue receipts Rs36.908 billion. The province will get income from its own resources which are estimated at Rs09.120 billion. The foreign aid is estimated at Rs6.181 billion.
The Public Sector Development Programme has an outlay of Rs71.182 billion including schemes for education, health, law and order, irrigation and agriculture, communication, infrastructure, water and energy sectors.
The volume of the budget is Rs289.356 billion which have a deficit of Rs36.485 billion. The non-development expenditures were estimated at Rs218.174 billion. A sum of Rs10 billion was allocated for ongoing schemes. The capital expenditures are estimated at Rs33.413 billion.
The province has expected an income of Rs252.871 billion during next financial year which includes federal receipts, revenues and foreign aid.
A sum of Rs28.93 billion was allocated for education sector. Funds were suggested for construction of new buildings of schools, provision of basic necessary facilities to them including drinking water, walls and provision of furniture while the up-gradation of schools was among the program.
Three medical colleges would be established in Khuzdar, Loralai and Turbat and 70 middle schools were suggested to be upgraded to high school in different areas of the province.
Health sector will receive a sum of Rs17.36 billion for its development and non-development expenditures. Under the new health budget, new health centres will be established while already established hospitals and basic health centres will receive machinery, medicines and other necessary facilities.
A sum of Rs30.25 billion was allocated for law and order which includes provision of modern weapons and vehicles to police, Levies Force and Balochistan Constabulary while the provincial government would also provide financial assistance to Frontier Corps under these allocations.
A sum of Rs12 billion was suggested for general administration expenditures. Funds were allocated in the budget for provision of 3000 new jobs to youth of Balochistan in order to resolve issue of unemployment.
A sum of Rs10 billion was earmarked for water supply schemes for provincial capital Quetta and another sum of Rs05 billion was allocated for beautification and improvement of infrastructure in Quetta.
An allocation of Rs03 billion was made for provision of basic civic amenities in five divisional headquarters of the province including uplift of Gwadar Port city.
Rupees 2 billion were suggested for Quetta Mass Transit Train and separately, Rs 01 billion were earmarked for Quetta Green Bus Service project.
Under Quetta Water Supply Project, Quetta city will get water supply from Pat Feeder Canal which will cost Rs40 billion. A sum of Rs10 billion was allocated in Balochistan Budget 2016-17 for this scheme.
The provincial government has planned to distribute laptops among students of educational institutions free of cost and it suggested a sum of Rs500 million for laptop scheme.
Rupees 5 billion were suggested for development schemes of local councils. Quetta Municipal Corporation will getRs 500 million grant. A sum of over Rs03 billion was allocated for livestock sector. Agriculture sector will receive Rs 7.40 billion. It was fourth budget of the coalition government of Balochistan and first-ever budget of Nawab Zehri government.