Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday bulldozed the proceedings of the provincial assembly with brute majority and passed both provincial budget for financial year 2014-15 as well as the Finance Bill 2014. The provincial assembly during the Saturday proceeding have passed only seven demands for grants worth Rs 9 billion for departments including provincial assembly, administration & establishment, department of finance, planning & development, information technology, revenue & estate and excise and taxation.
The opposition had forced the treasury benches for voting on three cut motions while the remaining four were passed with consensus. On Monday, the opposition not showing any flexibility was demanding voting on their cut motions. The opposition legislators were critical of the performance of the department of home affairs, prisons and police and were demanding reforms in them.
However, Speaker Asad Qaiser while exercised his powers under 148 of the proceedings of the house, announced the guillotining of all cut motions presented by the legislators and paved way for presenting the remaining demands for grants one by one in the house for approval. The house in its second session of the day also approved the Finance Bill 2014 while including one amendment of the Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao of Qaumi Watan Party.
The appendix-II of the bill regarding revision of the slabs of professional tax also attracted criticism from opposition, while increase in tax on agriculture income even dismayed a treasury member, Samiullah Alizai. However, Senior Minister, Siraj-ul-Haq, demanded the revision of all taxes and termed them in the interest of the province. He said that the provincial government has presented a poor-friendly budget and maximum relief has been extended to them. He said that the revenue collected from these taxes would be utilised for the development of the province.
The senior minister later under Article 123 of the Constitution also laid the authenticated schedule in the house. On the demand of the PPP legislator, Nighat Yasmin Orakzai, Chief Minister Pervez Khattak announced the payment of two extra-salaries for the employees of the provincial assembly.
The PPP legislator has demanded reward for the bomb disposal units of Peshawar and Charsadda, which had disposed of two 12-kilogram each bombs and foiling a huge sabotage attempt in both cities of the province. The chief minister committed that the provincial government through deputy commissioners will seek recommendations for awarding the bomb disposal units for disposing of 12-kilogram each bombs in Hayatabad and Charsadda. The Speaker later announced the adjournment of the proceedings of the house till 10am Tuesday.
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