Syed Kausar Abbas, programme manager at the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), on Wednesday expressed concern over the failure of the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) in passing its annual budget for the fiscal year 2014-15 till now.

He said annual budget of City District Government Rawalpindi for fiscal year 2014-15 has not been passed yet due to appointment of non-technical staff in the Finance and planning department.

He said that the post of Executive District Officer Finance and Planning of Rawalpindi could not be filled since last three years which shows that the CDGR is less concerned with the budget and planning section of the district.

Delay in passing the budget would not only affect 30, 000 employees but it will also affect over 5 million natives of Rawalpindi. According to Budget Rules of Government of Punjab introduced in 2003, the district government was bound to follow the budget timelines and calendar.

Most of the district governments including Rawalpindi do not follow the budget rules and its time frame and make the budget at the eleventh hour without any consultation with the citizens living in the district, he said.

He said that CPDI have highlighted the issue of vacant post of EDO finance and planning before as well but the City District Government has not appointed a well-trained EDO yet.

The district budget department needs to concentrate on the citizen friendly and participatory budget that ensure the proper service delivery to the people according to their need but unfortunately it has not been practiced yet by CDGR. Kausar Abbas urged the CDGR to share the budget document on their official website to make it open to the citizens.
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