|
|
| July 20, 2002 | Saturday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1423 |
Councillors criticize Mansehra budget
MANSEHRA, July 19: A number of councillors criticized the district budget for the financial year 2002-03 on Friday and termed it “a game of figures” to deceive the people.
The members at a district council meeting presided over Convener Shahzada Mohammad Gustasap Khan termed the budget impracticable and a fraud with the people.
Itchrian Union Council Nazim Syed Sharif Hussain Shah said that due to inefficiency of the district government a sum of Rs220 million, allocated for uplift projects under the Khushal Pakistan Programme, had lapsed.
He said the claims of the district government of maintaining peace and controlling the law and order situation had proven false after the terrorist attack on foreign tourists near the Ashoka rocks.
He said the district government instead of empowering the union councils was vesting all powers in the Tehsil councils.
He alleged that the district government was victimising it’s opponents and a number of officials had been transferred on political grounds.
Trangri Union Council Nazim Sabir Shah Waheed Afzal Golra said the district government had made no efforts to generate resources for the council.
He said millions of rupees were outstanding against the government as royalty on production of tobacco in Mansehra but the district government had taken no steps to recover the amount.
He said the Seron right bank canal project had been approved by the government since long but the district government took no steps to start work on the project.
Golra said that the multinational companies earned millions of rupees annually from the area through production of tobacco and tea but the district government had not levied tax on them. He said the sports stadium in the city was deserted but the district government had not allocated any amount in the budget for its improvement.
He suggested that the union councils should be divided in three zones for development, but Gustasap Khan said that was not possible under the local council rules.
Gustasap said all the union councils were independent in carrying out the uplift schemes and their members were authorised to call the government officials for making recommendations.
Kaghan Union Council Nazim Syed Iftikhar Husain Shah criticized the district government for it’s failure in maintaining law and order. He condemned the police for torture of innocent people of Kaghan valley in the murder case of Aftab Asghar Dar, Nazim of Ravi town, Lahore. He termed the budget a failure of the district government.
The Behali Union Council Nazim Ghulam Mustafa welcomed the plan of construction of district government offices with a cost of Rs50 million and said it would save Rs18 million every year, which were being paid as rent by the government.
He stressed the need for paying more attention toward uplift of the rural areas and put forward suggestions in this regard.
Malikpur Union Council Nazim Sher Afzal Khan, Attarshisha UC Nazim Abdul Khaliq Ajiz and other members also spoke.
|
|
