MIRPUR (AJK): June 21 (APP):: Senior Minister Colonel (Rtd) Waqar Ahmed Noor on Wednesday presented a historic tax-free budget worth over 232 billion and 47 million rupees for the financial year 2023-2024 in the budget session of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly which met in the State metropolis on Wednesday.
Rs. 42 billion have been allocated in the budget for development projects. A revised budget for the fiscal year 2022-23, worth Rs.156.0947 billion was also presented for approval.
To improve the economic condition of the employees, the finance minister said that the government while keeping in view its resources will contemplate increasing the salary and pension of the government employees on the pattern of the federal government employees.
While presenting the budget for the financial year 2023-24 in the Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the State Minister for Finance Colonel (R) Waqar Ahmad Noor said that the total estimated non-development expenditure for the next financial year was 190.047 billion, which included 7.5669 billion rupees for Services and General Administration, rupees 1.672 billion for Board of Revenue, 0.044 billion rupees for Stamps and 51.300 million for Land Record and Settlement.
Similarly, Rs1,992.200 mln for relief and rehabilitation, Rs 35 billion for pension, Rs 379.300 million for public relations, 3.0114 billion for Judiciary, 8.1372 billion for police, 0.3269 billion for jails, 398.600 million for Civil Defense and 100.8 million rupees for Armed Services Board, 6.2067 billion rupees.
For the Communication and Public Works department, 40.133 billion for Education and 17.526 billion rupees for public health.
Furthermore, budget estimates for Sports, Youth, Culture & Transport 183.2millions rupees, 266.2 million for religious affairs, 746.6 million rupees for social welfare and women affairs, Rs. 1.0616 billion for agriculture, Rs. 964.600 million for livestock and dairy development.
The finance minister said that 372.4 million rupees for food, 14.53 billion for State Trading, 1.7856 billion for Forests/ Wildlife/Fisheries, 25.5 million for Cooperative,10.64 billion for Energy and Water Resources, 817.4 million for Local Government & Rural Development,278.2 million Industries, Labour & Minerals Resources, 156. million for Printing Press, 140.2 million for Sericulture, and 176.9 million for Tourism & Archaeology.
He said that capital expenditure worth 4 billion was also included in the budget estimates. The total revenue estimate for the next fiscal year 2023-24, he said, was 166.45 billion rupees which included rupees 44 billion from Inland Revenue, 150 million from Land Record and Settlement, Stamps 400 million, Azad Jammu and Kashmir Transport Authority 65 million, Armed Services Board 40 million, Law and Order 145 million, Interior (Police) 240 million rupees, Jails 0.8 million rupees,
The Communication & Works 650 million rupees, Education 280 million rupees, Health 160 million, Food 400 million, Agriculture 11 million, Wildlife/Fisheries 75 million, Livestock & Dairy Development 40 million, Forests 1.2 billion, Electricity 25 billion, Printing Press 100 million, Industries 45 million, Labour 5 million, Sericulture 5 million, Minerals 100 million, Tourism 12 million, Social Welfare 0.2 million, Religious Affairs 70 million, and Miscellaneous 656 million. On development budget estimates for the FY 2023-24.
The finance minister said that an amount of 900 million rupees has been proposed for agriculture and livestock and Rs150 million for civil defence / SDMA, 345 million for development institutions, 4.3 billion for education, 150 million for the environment, 800 million rupees for forests/watershed, 75 million for wildlife and fisheries, 3 billion rupees for public health, 520 million for industry and minerals.
Likewise Rs 280 million for the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority, Rs 1.035 billion for Governance/Miscellaneous, Rs30 million for Transport, 200 million for Information and Media Development, Rs 800 million for Information Technology, 3.7 billion for Local Government and Rural Development, 2.465 billion rupees for physical planning and housing, 4.3 billion rupees for energy and water resources, 2.4 billion rupees for research and development, 550 million rupees for land administration and management, social welfare and development of women, Social Welfare & Women Dev.300 million, Sports, Youth & Culture 500, Tourism 700 million and Communication & Works 14.5 billion rupees.
