KARACHI, June 23: A huge amount of Rs800 million apportioned for development works in the city during the outgoing fiscal 2001-2002, stands lapsed on June 30, due to its non-utilization by the city government.
This was claimed by the chairman of the Al-Khadim Group, Muhammad Siddique Rathore, while addressing a press conference on Sunday where members of the group — Abdul Razzaq Sanghani, Tazeem Ahmad Siddiqui, Akhlaq-un-Nabi, Yasin Mian, Dr Syed Muhammad Iqbal Hussain, Siraj Qureshi and Ghulam Hussain Turk — were also present.
He said had the resolution of his group been accepted in last March, when the revised budget 2001-2002 was presented to the city council, the money could have been saved from lapse. In the resolution, it was suggested that each Union Council be apportioned Rs3 million to carry out development work in their respective areas.
Mr Rathore said that the City Government had been seized with preparations of its first budget 2002-2003, and people had a lot of expectation from the budget.
He said that his group would like to draw attention towards longstanding and pressing problems of the city such as health, sanitary conditions, dilapidated roads, street lights, water supply and sewerage system which needs priority in the budget.
He suggested that the above issues could be attended in a better way if funds were apportioned at the Union Council level to carry out development work.
There is also a need to keep an eye on the various public dealing departments such as education where, in the outgoing year, Rs580 million were kept for providing free books to students in primary schools, improving the conditions in primary schools and providing scholarships to deserving students. But the people continued to visit the UC for the purpose and now it appeared that the above fund has also lapsed, he said.
He suggested that it should be made obligatory on all Towns to utilize development funds equally, without any discrimination and like or dislike, to get better results and improve conditions in the city.
