RAWALPINDI, Feb 1: The new Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) formally started working on Saturday and all the assets/ liabilities and share of employees falling in its part were transferred to it.

The areas falling on the eastern side of Murree Road to Flashman’s Hotel, Iftikhar Janjua Road, Maulvi Tamizzudin Road to Chungi-22, Dhamiyal Road, Bakramandi Chow, Dhamiyal Road to the turn on Chakri Road, will be called Chaklala Cantonment Board. The localities on the western side will be part of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board.

The CCB has started functioning in one section of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board building specified for the purpose, whereas the other section will be in the RCB’s control. The new board will continue functioning there till the time it gets its own office, for which a site has been chosen in Chaklala-3.

According to the bifurcation of assets/liabilities and division of staff, the RCB employees, who are currently posted in the jurisdiction of the CCB, will continue working there, whereas those working in the RCB’s limits will be considered as it staff.

Similarly, out of the total funds, amounting to Rs68.575 million, the CCB will get Rs37.937 million. In addition to this, Rs7.7 million will be provide to the new cantonment board out of the total funds of Khushal Pakistan Programme Fund, amounting to Rs20 million. The remaining funds, Rs12.3 million, will be spent on development works in the areas of Rawalpindi cantonment.

In the same way, 40 per cent share will be transferred to the CCB in the benevolent funds and group insurance scheme of the cantonment employees. The share of the CCB in the Rs956,584 benevolent funds, has been estimated at Rs382,630. Likewise, out of the Rs12,346 group insurance funds, the CCB will be provided Rs4,940. The remaining amount, Rs7,406, will be given to the RCB.

Out of the total 0.9 million population, 0.7 million civilians and 0.2 million army personnel and their families, about 0.250 million people will be in the jurisdiction of the CCB, while the remaining 6.5 million will be in the RCB limits.

Unlike the previous plan, under which, some of the departments, like the fire brigade, water supply and electricity, had been proposed to be jointly used by the two cantonments, all the sections will be divided and enabled to work independently. This has been done to avoid confusion later on.

The incumbent station commander, Brig Hamid Khalil, will head both the cantonments. RCB additional executive officer Hassan Akhtar Mirza will also be the additional executive officer of the CCB for the time being.

Commenting on the bifurcation of the cantonment board, RCB executive officer Iftikhar Mir said it would usher in a new era of progress and prosperity for the residents of the cantonment. Now the RCB and the CCB managements will find more time to devote themselves to public welfare by promoting efficient service- delivery system, he added.

Meanwhile, the government has extended the tenure of the office of the mini cantonment board, Rawalpindi, for another six months, upto May 2003.

The tenure of the board had ended on December 2, 2002. According to the Cantonment Act 1924, the tenure should be extended from the date the first tenure ends.

It is pertinent to mention here that about 10 of the suspended members have challenged the functioning of the mini board after its tenure ended on December 2, 2002. The case is in the Lahore High Court.

The suspended members, who are contesting the existence of the mini-board in the court, have termed this extension as against the Cantonment Act, 1924, and plan to challenge it as well.

According to them, a Supreme Court judgment, given in 1997, said extension could be given only for a year and not for six months.