ISLAMABAD, July 8: The powers of district Nazim, Islamabad, as were envisaged in the devolution plan, has been further curtailed and, now he has been restricted to deal with the affairs of municipal services.

The decision was taken at a meeting held here on Monday. Besides the chief of National Accountability Bureau, Lt-Gen Tanveer Naqvi (retired), and the interior minister, Lt-Gen Moinuddin Haider (retired), the meeting was attended by the senior officials of the departments concerned.

It was decided that there would be two separate administrations — the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the district government.

The meeting decided that the CDA Board would not be dissolved and would be expanded by inducting three elected members increasing total number of members by eight.

All the CDA directorates which provide municipal services would be given under the control of the district government, the meeting decided.

“The Nazim will only look after the matters related to municipal services like provision of water, sanitation, environment, streetlights and a small-scale development works.”

On the other hand, the CDA will deal with the matters related to land disposal and revenue generation. A source told Dawn that the date for holding local government (LG) polls could not be decided due to difference of opinion between the officials of the NRB and interior ministry.

The source said earlier there were some differences on the model of LG system in Islamabad, but now these reservations had been settled.

He said it was the interior ministry that had succeeded in getting its proposals approved by the competent authority regarding curtailment of the Nazim’s powers. The meeting was informed that an ordinance had been drafted for LG polls in Islamabad, but it was yet to be promulgated by President General Pervez Musharraf.

Meanwhile, a source from the Election Commission said the commission has received orders from the authorities to finalize the arrangements for holding polls in the capital.