LAHORE, June 2: The writ of the district government is very weak as the Nazimeen/district administration officers have not been vested with necessary powers under the penal/criminal laws.

This has been pointed out in a memorandum submitted by the City District Government to the provincial government for suitable amendments to the Local Government Ordinance, 2001, for the resolution of the issues relating to the implementation of the devolution plan and facilitation of redressal of public grievances under the new governance mechanism.

It has been pointed out in the memorandum that no coordination mechanism had been created between the three tiers of the local government i.e. the district coordination officer, the tehsil municipal officer and the union council secretary. Creation of a coordination mechanism between the district departments at town level was also necessary by creating the posts of the deputy DCOs for the purpose.

The government had not notified the rules of business for the town governments with the result that these were not functioning properly. The taxation structure of the city district government had not been rationalised either and the share of the towns and district in the taxes had not been specified. The functions of the ex-zila councils had been transferred to the district governments but 70 per cent of at source deduction in grant was to go to the union councils.

The CDG has proposed allocation of the tax on the transfer of immovable property and the hotel and motorvehicle tax to the district governments and instructions for the deposit of devolved taxes into the district local fund for saving 15 per cent at source deduction by the provincial government. An amendment has also been proposed in the Urban Immovable Property Tax Act, 1958, to the effect that the EDO (Revenue) to take the place of the commissioner.

The CDG has also proposed reconstitution of the Resource Generation Committee to allow the sale of property to the city government by amendment to Section 124 which prohibits sale of property to local councils. The CDG has expressed the fear that funds would not be available with it for clearing Rs1.3 billion liabilities of the Lahore Roads Rehabilitation Project in case the permission was not granted.

The CDG has also called for an early decision regarding the delegation of financial powers by the local government, services and general administration and finance departments; delegation of technical sanction powers for the local fund; delegation of administrative powers; amendments to the purchase manual; amendments to the Punjab Children Ordinance 1983; amendments to price checking laws; amendments to the Stage Dramatic Performance Act 1876; conferring of powers to prosecute the transporters violating the laws on district officer, passenger and freight transit terminal,Lahore; grant of licences to manufacture and store the fireworks; grant of petroleum and oil agency licences.

It has been further pointed out in the CDG memorandum that the enforcement mechanism to check the rates, cleanliness, emergency measures, screening of obscene films, adherence to building rules and structural stability of cinema buildings is not available with the district governments as these have not been empowered to issue cinematography licences.

Proposing reorganization of the District Road Transport Authority office, the CDG has pointed out that the DRTA secretary has no officer to assist him in dealing with hundreds of cases of route permits, inspection of bus stand sites and attending the courts of law. The government has been asked to appoint two ADOs to assist the DRTA secretary. Creation of two more posts of sub-registrars has also been proposed as there are only four sub-registrars for six towns in the provincial metropolis.

The government has also been requested to provide vehicles for the Town Nazimeen and make a necessary amendment to the relevant laws for the establishment of enterprise and investment promotion offices at district level; preservation of graveyards, establishment of village and neighbourhood council, grant of licences for the sale of LPG cylinders; search,seizure and stock taking of arms ammunitions, allotment of land for graveyard at Harbanspura.

The CDG has pointed out that processing of family cases had been stopped because of the delay in the issue of the notification declaring the UC Nazimeen as arbitration courts under the Family Law. Rules of business for town governments and institution of cases against corrupt officials also required to be notified.