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LAHORE: Provincial Finance Minister Hasnain Dareshak Thursday announced 180 billion rupees tax free Punjab budget for the next fiscal year. The government has announced 15 per cent increase in salaries of government servants and 102000 five Marla free plots for the rural homeless.

The government has allocated Rs. 43.44 billion for the provincial Annual Development Programme in the next budget with 100 increases than the current year.

Salaries Increased

The government proclaimed 15 per cent increase in salaries of government servants while seven thousand houses will be constructed with the cost of 10 billion rupees for the government employees who will retire in the next two years.

The government has also announced to allot 102000 five Marla free plots to the poor people of rural areas.

Allocations

Rs 8.23 billions allocated for the development schemes in the education sector, while 5.50 billions additional grant was provided for the health sector. Another 5.30 billion rupees were allocated for the irrigation sector.

In the new budget Rs. 68 billions were allocated for the local governments in the province.

Provincial budget proposes two percent stamp duty on the sale of agriculture land and rural property. Entertainment duty on cinema houses was reduced from 30 to 15 percent in budget.

NWFP Budget Today

The NWFP Annual Budget for the Financial Year 2004-05 will be presented in the Provincial Assembly today, Friday June-18 at 4:00 PM.

Senior NWFP Minister Sirjaul Haq, who also holds the portfolio of Finance, would present the budget, it was officially notified here on Thursday.

AJK Budget on June-22

Kashmir Bureau chief of 'Pakistan Times' Altaf Hamid Rao reports that the budget of Azad Kashmir for the next fiscal year will be announced on Tuesday June-22.

Azad Kashmir President, Sardar Mohammed Anwar Khan has convened AJK Legislative Assembly session on Tuesday at 11-00 a.m.

Minister of Finance Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan will present the budget in the State's Legislative Assembly.