DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Aug 20: A row has broken out between the district Nazim and a group of union council Nazimeen over the distribution of development funds.

Fourteen out of 46 union council Nazimeen, with seven women councillors of the district council, have formed what they call “a revolutionary group” against the district Nazim at a meeting, held here at the office of the union council No.3. The meeting was presided by Abdus Sattar Babar, Nazim of the Chowdhwan union council.

The Nazimeen belong to the union councils of Bigwani Shumali, Kot Jai, Bilot, Zindani, Kathgarh, Wanda Khan Muhammad, Paharpur, Lar, Dhap Shumali, Giloti, Kiri of Dera City No.1 and No.3. The women councillors, who have joined the revolutionary group, are Shahida Saddozai (advocate), Dilshad Begum, Rifat Iqbal, Asmat Batool, Nargis Zohra, Nasim Akhtar and Asmat Bukhari.

They alleged that the developments funds were being utilized without getting a proper approval from the district council. The funds, they said, were allocated to those, who were not elected representatives.

They further alleged that a sum of Rs13 million had been put at the discretion of a relative of the district Nazim, who was not a member of the district council, and that it had been done only to oblige those who could help the district Nazim win in the general election.

The Nazimeen told journalists, who were invited to attend the meeting, that last year, no proper way had been adopted for the utilization of funds and when the annual budget for the year 2002-2003 had been resisted, the district Nazim had promised a judicious distribution of funds —Rs4 million for each union council and Rs1.3 million for each woman councillor — but after getting the budget passed, the commitments had not been kept.

Bigwani Shumali Union Council Nazim Akbar Kamrani said millions of rupees under the heads of education scholarships and electrical appliances had been embezzled and there was no record of their utilization. He added that the public accounts committee had been constituted by those, who themselves favoured all kinds of malpractice.

Mr Kamrani maintained that to keep his “misdeeds” concealed, the district Nazim had not allowed any Nazim to see the NWFP governor during his recent visit to D. I. Khan.

Castigating the district Nazim, the women councillors said they had been inducted into the system as mere a “show piece”, saying that they had got nothing to solve the problems of their voters. They complained that neither they were being provided with any development funds, nor had they any power to recommend the needy for the Zakat assistance.

The councillors said though the district council had unanimously adopted a resolution, demanding honorarium for them, the district Nazim had not considered the demand at all.