PESHAWAR: Mayor of Peshawar Capital Metropolitan Government Haji Zubair Ali on Thursday unveiled the Rs5.144 billion surplus budget of the city council for the ongoing financial year with a development outlay of Rs1.6 billion for the metropolitan area.

He also presented the revised budgetary estimates for 2022-23 in the council revealing their decrease from the projected Rs4.28 billion to Rs2.188 billion.

The revenue estimates placed before the council showed that the metropolitan government would receive Rs645 million from the provincial government under the Provincial Finance Commission, while the government is likely to give away Rs500 million to it in lieu of urban immovable property tax, Rs316 in octroi and a grant of Rs1 billion to pay debt to the Peshawar Development Authority for general bus stand.

The budget documents show that the council will generate Rs475 million from property taxes, Rs40 million from building plans approval, Rs526 from bus stands and Rs163 million from rents.

He complains about denial of over Rs1bn funds

The development outlay includes Rs40 million for public parks, while Rs50 million will be spent on improvement of colleges and schools.

Likewise, Rs100 million has been allocated for janazgahs (funeral places) and eidgahs, Rs130 million for solarisation of offices, schools, colleges and mosques to reduce power bills, which, according to the mayor, are eating up the biggest chunk of its expenditure after payment of salaries and pensions.

Similarly, Rs20 million will be spent on the provision of wheelchairs to people with disabilities, Rs25 million for distribution of prizes to exam position holders from government schools as encouragement, Rs35 million on the provision of dowry to poor girls, Rs7 million for promotion of sports, Rs10 million for public libraries, Rs20 million on educational requirements of children with disabilities, Rs60 million on natural disasters and Rs10 million for repairs to eight funeral vehicles.

Besides, Rs60 million has been earmarked for the provision of better facilities and maintenance of bus stands, Rs30 million for a new office block and Rs300 million for giving away loans for employees welfare, Rs40 million to purchase land for the employees housing and Rs50 million for municipal schools and colleges.

Similarly, Rs360 million will be spent on the repair and pavement of streets, Rs50 million for addressing traffic issues, Rs21 million for women’s welfare and Rs10 million for religious minorities.

In the budget speech, Mr Ali said despite the denial of over Rs1 billion in PFC and other grants by the provincial government, the metropolitan government managed the payment of salary and pension and cleared other liabilities.

“We condemn the non-payment of over Rs1 billion in capital government grants by the provincial government,” he said complaining about the slashing of the PFC grant of the metropolitan government.

The mayor said the PFC grant should have been increased in line with population growth.

He, however, regretted that last year, not only was that grant denied to the metropolitan government but it was also slashed during the current fiscal.

Mr Ali said the strengthening of local bodies was the need of the hour.

“Our metropolitan government is indebted on account of parking plaza and general bus stand and we have requested the provincial government for Rs1 billion loan to settle our liabilities,” he said.

The mayor said the local government system didn’t deliver “optimally” due to those issues in the last one and a half years and even local body representatives took to the streets to claim their rights, but to no avail.

The budget session was chaired by presiding officer Malik Tariq.

At the start of the sitting, council members offered Fateha for the security personnel, who were martyred in the recent incidents of militancy.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2023