June 15, 2003	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 14, 1424

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KARACHI, June 14: Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad on Saturday formed a committee headed by Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkal Kazi to resolve problems confronting Nazims and the local government system.

The committee, which will also include additional chief secretary (finance), secretary local bodies and secretary law department, would review the issues on emergency basis and contact Nazims to take practical steps for their resolution.

The governor presided over an eight-hour marathon session here to listen to the complaints of Nazims in this regard.

The meeting was participated by all Nazims of districts, towns and union councils and DCOs of the province besides being attended by National Reconstruction Bureau Chairman Danial Aziz.

Nazims presented their complaints while Mirza Karim Baig, secretary local bodies briefed about the devolution plan’s present status while DIG, Police Headquarters, Rana Altaf informed about the progress of the police Order 2002.

Stressing the need for resolving contentious issues, the Governor urged the ministers to improve coordination with Nazims besides the chief minister to resolve the problems of Nazims. NRB chief Danial Aziz said that he was in contact with all provinces. He noted down their proposals regarding improving relevant laws to stabilize the local government system.

Referring to the problems pertaining to police, he said that with the formation of public safety committees, provincial police authorities and better communication between police station and UCs would bring further improvement in their performance.

The meeting was also addressed by local government minister Muhammad Hussain, adviser on interior affairs Aftab Shaikh while Nazims expressed their reservations on appointments, transfers, financial planning and capacity-building besides suggesting their remedies.

They pointed out that in the beginning, they had been given good bureaucrats, including DCOs and EDOs but after the induction of the provincial government, they had been transferred replacing them with “incompetent and inefficient” officers. This, they added, had hurt the momentum of the development work besides creating problems for the common man.

They said that while good officers belonging to BPS-20 had been awaiting postings but BPS-19 officers had been posted as DCO whose performance, they added, remained poor.

Some of the Nazims opposed inclusion of legislators on the local advisory boards for development works saying that it would open up a Pandora’ box.