ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: Provincial governments and bureaucracy are creating hurdles in the implementation of the devolution plan as they are reluctant to transfer power to the grass roots.

These views were expressed by a majority of the district Nazims attending a workshop organized by the National Reconstruction Bureau here on Saturday.

They demanded more administrative and financial powers to run the new system in its true spirit.

The district Nazims, who came from all parts of the country, said they had not been empowered to take decisions about posting of officials and utilization of funds.

Khanewal District Nazim Ahmed Yar Hiraj pointed out some loopholes in the local government ordinance and the rules of business for districts. “Nazims cannot take punitive action against corrupt officers. Therefore, the relevant rules of business should be amended,” he added.

Jamal Leghari of Dera Ghazi Khan said the police department had become an unbridled horse and added that even the new Police Order had failed to meet its objective and reform the department.

“If the NRB wants to run the new system smoothly it will have to empower the Nazims not at the district level but also at the union council level,” he urged.

Peshawar District Nazim Mohammad Azam Khan Afridi said the district government system had saved people from the bureaucratic officialdom and red-tapism. “Earlier deputy commissioners used to be the authority in a district, now a public representative is there to serve the people,” he said.

Khairpur District Nazim Nafisa Shah said that public representatives at the local level were facing harassment from political circles. She accused the ruling alliance of exploiting the local government system.

Rahim Khan Kakar of Quetta said that local representatives and the NRB officials would tender resignations en bloc if the devolution plan was replaced or wrapped up.

Sanghar District Nazim Roshan Din said every district had a political warlord who was running the affairs of the districts.

NRB chairman Daniyal Aziz warned the bureaucracy either to help run the local governments or quit. He said the NRB would launch a link website on Jan 1 to disseminate information about the problems and hardships of district governments.

He said the negative propaganda should be countered so that the forces working against the new system were neutralized.

Mr Aziz said the government had set up a National Information Monitoring and Reforms Cell to assess the progress on the implementation of the Police Order 2002.

He said the octroi system would not be revived and added that only the collection of Zila Tax was allowed in the local government system.

He stressed the role of the Citizen Community Boards in the socio-economic development under the district governments.