Karachi: Sindh budget for next financial year, with a total outlay of over 3451 billion rupees, was presented in provincial assembly in Karachi on Friday. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who also holds the portfolio of Finance Minister, unveiling the budgetary proposals, announced a 12 percent increase in salaries of government employees from grade 1 to 16, and a ten percent increase in the salaries of the employees from grade 17 to 22.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Chief Minister announced an 8 percent increase in pensions of retired employees. He also announced an increase in the conveyance allowance of special employees. An amount of 2,149.4 billion rupees has been allocated in the budget for ongoing expenditure. For the education sector, 523.73 billion rupees have been earmarked, which is 12.4 percent higher than the allocation for the current financial year.

An amount of 326.5 billion rupees has been allocated for the health sector. An amount of 520 billion rupees for the provincial annual development programme, 55 billion rupees for the district development programme, and an amount of 366.72 billion rupees have been earmarked for the foreign-assisted projects.

He announced that the transport system in Karachi will be modernized and 50 electric buses will be introduced in the city to facilitate the people. The Chief Minister said special attention has also been attached to agriculture reforms, saying Benazir cards will be issued to over two hundred thousand peasants for the provision of subsidies and modern agriculture machinery to them.