PESHAWAR - The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has approved four demands for grants of worth 1.21 billion rupee while seven demands of 3.38 billion grants would be approved during the next two days of the Assembly session. Addressing on the floor of the Assembly on Monday, Pakistan People Party (S) parliamentary leader Sikandar Sherpao, opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani, Javed Abassi of Muslim League (N), Mufti  Kifayatullah of JUI, Naseer Mohammad Khan Medad Khail and Nargas Sameen of PPP-S moved cut motion and criticized the performance of planning and Development department. Addressing on the occasion, Senior Minister Rahim Dad Khan clarified that the P&D Department is planning for the upcoming years and the present government has provided extra money for the early completion of developmental schemes and that is why the volume of ADP was increased however through forward liability have been decreased from 2.4 years to 1.7 years. He also urged the assembly members to withdraw their cut motions to approve demands for grants. After withdrawal of the cut motion the assembly members approved the demands of grants. Provincial Minister for Science and Information Technology Ayub Ashari presented demand for 40.9 million grants while other members presented their cut motions and criticized the performance of several departments and also demanded to computerize the record of finance department and other related departments.Opposition leader Akram Khan Durrani suggested that Department of Information Technology should be merged into Department of Technical Education. Ayub Ashari, while highlighting the importance of his department, said that his department computerized the record of property tax due to which the income of the department increased up to 300 percent. He said that his department is planning to set up IT Parks in Peshawar and Abbottabad while another 10-year plan is under consideration, which would bring improvement in several sectors.Minister for Housing Shuja Khan also presented demand grant of 830.4 million rupees, which later was approved after the criticism of the members on this department. However the assembly members withdraw their cut motion after the assurance of the minister to bring improvement in the department. Similarly, the Minister for Excise and Taxation presented his demand for grants of 110.5 million rupees against which Naseer Mohammad and Mufti Kifauatullah moved their cut motion and criticized the department for its alleged corruption. The members questioned that why the department did not returned the fees, which they had deposited for acquiring personal number plates. On this, Liaqat Shabab replied that through steps the government aimed to discourage the VIP culture and those who deposited fee were retuned. He said that those who did not refund their fees can withdraw their fee any time. In reply to another query, Liaqat Shabab said that for the first time the government has collected tax from Karkhano Market and recovered Rs 130 million taxes from the owners of various shops. The members also withdraw their cut motions and the demand for grant was approved unanimously. Later, Speaker Kiramatullah Khan Chagar Matti adjourned the session till today at 3pm. 

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