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Finance Minister Muhammad Humayun Khan Monday presented the ANP-PPP coalition's first tax-free surplus budget for the fiscal year 2008-09 with a total outlay of Rs170.559 billion in the provincial assembly's budget session (June 16, 2008) with a development outlay of Rs41.545 billion as against the last year's projected budget of more than Rs114 billion.

In his budget speech the minister said that law and order had been given utmost priority in the budget and Rs6.559 billion would be provided to police showing an increase of 27 percent against the previous year besides Rs2 billion had been allocated to be used as wheat subsidy so as to provide maximum relief to the general public and ease the wheat and wheat flour shortage crisis in the province.

He said that the Rs41.545 billion annual development programme (ADP) was comprised of a total of 901 projects out of which 297 projects were new while 604 projects were old ones and it was his government's policy to give maximum funds for the on-going projects in order to ensure their timely completion.

The province's own share in the ADP has been estimated at Rs27.148 billion as against last year's estimates at Rs21.945 billion.

About Rs4.167 billion foreign assistance would also be a part of the ADP.

"The social sector development is our utmost priority and we have allocated 43.50 percent funds for this sector. For education 20.29 percent, 14.51 percent for health, 16.48 percent for roads, 4.70 percent for agriculture and 19.60 percent for regional development have been given," he said, adding that in the education sector, the ANP government would provide Rs200 per month scholarship to girl students of class 6 to Matric level and this facility was available to only seven districts in the past which would be extended to all the 24 districts of the province. In addition, 200 new primary schools would be established while 200 schools would be upgraded and 20 new government colleges would also be established.

"Allocations of Rs21.720 billion had been proposed in the education sector and Rs6.426 billion would be allocated to health sector," he informed, adding 975 new posts would be created in the health sector in the new fiscal year.

About Rs500 million were allocated for the agricultural sector development, that were 20 percent higher than that of the previous year and for the infrastructure development Rs825 million would be spent.

He said that the total revenue had been estimated at Rs170.904 billion while the total expenditure were Rs170.559 billion, making the budget surplus to the tune of Rs345 million.

For the payment of pension Rs5.777 billion have been allocated.

In the health sector Banezir Bhutto Hospital of 500 beds would be established in Peshawar and new medical college in Mardan, provision of MRI machines to all the four big hospitals, 200 new ambulances and provision of generators had been planned besides all the DHQ hospitals would be upgraded to 'A' category.

For women development Rs99.551 million were allocated for a total of 31 projects which included the provision of scholarship for the jobless post-graduate students and establishment of Child Welfare and Protection Bureau.

To bring the law and order situation under control, it had been decided that 7500 new policemen would be recruited and 12 new police lines and 60 police stations would be established in the province and the police force would be provided with life insurance facility.

Poverty alleviation had been included in the budget and a fund of Rs1500 million would be spent in this regard besides government would provide health insurance facility to the needy families too.

Under the population welfare programme, the establishment of 33 new mobile hospitals and 14 reproductive health centres was planned at a total cost of Rs468 billion.

A large portion of the total current expenditure of Rs67.300 billion, about Rs40.4 billion would be spent on the payment of salarie