Azad Jammu And Kashmir Govt Unveils Rs108.2b Budget 2018-19

Rukhshan Mir (@rukhshanmir) Published May 21, 2018 | 04:26 PM

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday unveiled budget 2018-19 with a total outlay of Rs108.2 billion and development expenditure of Rs 25.2 billion and 10 percent increase in salaries of the government employees

MUZAFFARABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st May, 2018 ) :The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Government on Monday unveiled budget 2018-19 with a total outlay of Rs108.2 billion and development expenditure of Rs 25.2 billion and 10 percent increase in salaries of the government employees.

Finance Minister Dr. Najeeb Naqi presented the budget in the legislative Assembly here Monday during an uproar by the opposition parties. In his budget speech, Dr Naqi said Rs 82.70 billion allocated for current expenditures in next fiscal year's budget and Rs 25.

5 billion for annual development program including a foreign component of Rs 1.8 billion while Rs 49 billion in Federal PSDP for AJK's development projects. The Minister said Rs21400 million were estimated as income from local resources, Rs.1100 from the federal government in head of water use charges, Rs12800 million as receipts from Kashmir Council of 80% share, Rs49000 million to be received from federal government as share from federal taxes while the gap between income and expenditure will be bridged by the special grant of the federal government.

While highlighting the silent features of annual development program (ADP) 20018-19, Dr. Naqi said the priority had been given to road infrastructure and communication with a major allocation of Rs 10.383 billion for many ongoing and new schemes which constitute 41% of total ADP.

The minister said Rs1.9 billion had been allocated in the next fiscal year budget for power sector to provide 13000 new electricity connections by giving the electricity facility to remaining population in the territory.

Rs 2.43 billion had been allocated for Power Development Organisation (PDO) for ongoing power projects, Rs 2.225 billion for physical planning and housing, Rs. 2.5 billion for local government and rural development and Rs.

1.3 billion earmarked for community infrastructure development program in the rural areas. The Minister also presented revised budget for current fiscal year 2017-18 in the house, which constitute a volume of Rs96. 68 billion including Rs73 billion for current expenditures and Rs23 billion for annual development program.