DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Dec 6: The fourth session of district council was held on Thursday at the district council auditorium with Inayatullah Khan Miankhel in the chair.

A move against an ordinance recently introduced by the government announcing salaries and other benefits for Nazims and deputy Nazims was brought before the House by Councillor Sanjeeda Yousuf followed by a token walkout by all the members.

Councillor Irshad Begum said that though the military government had recognized the importance of women and reserved 33 per cent of total seats for them, yet they had been ignored when this ordinance was introduced.

The issue of SOS Village was discussed. Councillor Dilshad Begum told the House that SOS Village had been approved in 1993. During a visit by Begum Zari Sarfraz, president of the SOS Villages, and then federal minister Mehmooda Salim a site had been selected at Mandra Balochan village on the Dial Road. She further said that Mir Afzal Khan, then chief minister of the NWFP, had allocated 10 acres government land for the purpose.

However, Dilshad Begum said, the land was illegally occupied by Ghulam Qasim. She said the land was got vacated with the help of the court and a room constructed at the site to keep the construction material.

The councillor said that Ghulam Qasim was so influential that not only did he demolish the room but also took away the construction material and the land is now lying under his occupation. Irshad Begum, through a resolution, which was unanimously adopted, asked the local administration to get the land vacated as the project was getting late.

The members approved the notification issued by the NWFP government regarding the salaries and other benefits to be paid to Nazims and deputy Nazims.

Constitution of 10 monitoring and coordinating committees, and nomination of the leader of the house, chief whip and parliamentary secretary was also approved. Shoaib Khan Miankhel, Sharif Khan Qureshi and Qudratullah were nominated and approved as leader of the House, chief whip and parliamentary secretary, respectively.

Malik Fateh Sher, Nazim of Kech Union Council, alleged nepotism in grant of approval of contracts for 20 development schemes estimated at Rs8.2 million under the Khushal Pakistan Programme.