PESHAWAR, Sept 25: City district council here on Thursday adopted a unanimous resolution asking the district government to place a ban on the sale of firecrackers in the provincial metropolis to avoid mishaps.
The district council session, presided over by convener Dr Iqbal Khalil, recommended to the government to direct the capital city police not to allow sale and purchase of firecrackers on the occasion of religious festivals.
Nazim union council Yakatoot (II) Niaz Mohammad, who tabled the resolution, said the firecracker business was going on unchecked in various localities of the city. He pointed out that on the occasion of Shab-i-Barat, people, particularly children, set off firecrackers to celebrate the event.
He recalled that some three years back a firecrackers shop had caught fire in Piple Mandi, the main trading centre of the city, which claimed six lives and caused a huge financial loss.
A few days back, he said, fire broke out in a firecracker shop in the same locality, but it was controlled immediately. He proposed that the city district government should ban this practice on the occasion of religious festivals and direct the dealers to shift their selling points from congested areas of the city.
UC Nazim Hayatabad Sirajul Haq Yousafzai said that under the Local Government Ordinance 2001 a UC Nazim had powers to ban such activities in his jurisdiction and urged the members to curb such practices through proper use of the law.
Another member Shah Faisal, through a call attention notice, drew the council’s attention towards the alleged misconduct of the deputy district officer revenue and on floor of the house accused him of minting money at the time of issuing domicile to students.
He claimed that under the rules once a councillor attested the documents of a candidate applying for domicile certificate no other officer of the district government had the authority to ask for any other document from the applicant.
In accordance with the relevant sections of the Local Government Ordinance, 2001, once a councillor had attested the documents of a person applying for domicile certificate the district government’s authorities concerned were required to issue the certificate.
Other members also supported the mover, and demanded of the district Nazim to take disciplinary action against the officer concerned and transfer him immediately.
Many members demanded that the government abolish domicile certificate condition for admission to public sector colleges. District Nazim Azam Afridi requested the convener to constitute a committee to look into the matter.
He said that despite warnings the DDOR concerned had failed to address the grievances of the local government representatives, and that he (DDOR) bypassed instructions of even the district education officer.
ANNUAL GRANT: The city district government released annual grant of Rs500,000 to the Peshawar Press Club here on Thursday. District Nazim Azam Afridi handed over the cheque to the press club during the Guest Hour programme.
