April 1, 2003	Tuesday	Muharram 28, 1424

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HARIPUR, March 31: District Nazim Dr Raja Aamir Zaman on Monday presented an outlay of Rs53.76 million for development expenditures for the ongoing fiscal 2002-3 at a council session here.

The session was presided over by district Naib Nazim Riaz Khan Jadoon.

Presenting the non-salary budget, the district Nazim told the session that all the 12 district government departments, including the DCO office and the district Nazim secretariat, had projected their total expenditures at Rs88.493 million, while the provincial finance ward approved Rs53.76 million. To keep this development expenditure within the available financial resources the district government slashed its non-salary budget to the tune of Rs53.76 million instead of Rs88.493 million, he added.

The session convener, however, on the objection of some of the members referred the matter to a five-member committee which, after having it reviewed, present the outlay in the session for debate and approval in the next session. The committee comprised Farzana Rauf, Salim Khan, Aslam Khan Bagra, Ahmad Sultan Khan Tareen and Sardar Saleem Khan.

Later, some members in their speeches complained about interference by local MPAs, accusing them of recommending transfers of officials of their own choice in the education and health departments.

They maintained that the MPAs should concentrate on their constitutional responsibilities and not to meddle in the affairs of the district government as posting and transfers of government employees up to grade 15 was the prerogative of the district government.

Riaz Khan, Nazim UC Rehana, and Saeed Abbasi, Nazim UC Shah Maqsood, drew the attention of the convener towards reports pertaining to curtailment of powers of the district governments in the NWFP.

They condemned the proposed move and asked the federal government to either check such moves or abolish the entire system if it was not possible for it to provide protection to these institutions in the Frontier province.

Speaking on this issue, district Nazim Dr Zaman said curtailment of the district governments’ powers would be tantamount to depriving the people of their basic right of development.

He reminded the opponents of the district government system of the benefits the poor had received in the shape of uplift schemes during a brief period of 24 months.

The Nazim also assured the members elected on special seats that Rs0.5 million would be allocated to each of them after the release of the next tranche of grant payable to the district governments in lieu of octroi.

PROCESSION: After the session the council members took out a procession to express solidarity with the Iraqi people.

The procession began from the tehsil council hall and culminated at Chowk Panian where speakers condemned the US bombing on civilian population. They also demanded withdrawal of coalition forces from Iraq at the earliest.