HYDERABAD, Dec 20: The district council has demanded of the government that powers envisaged in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2001, should be delegated to local bodies representatives and the legislators should be held accountable for their failure in discharging their obligation.

Mohammad Yousuf Qureshi tabled a resolution in the council, appreciating the stand of President Gen Pervez Musharraf not to roll back present local government system, contained in schedule 6.

The resolution, which was unanimously adopted, also hailed decision of the President of forming local bodies associations at union, taluka and district-level.

He said that the legislators should confine themselves to their responsibilities after holding them accountable in a lawful manner.

He said that financial resources be provided to district governments for execution of development schemes and powers should also be delegated to local bodies representatives as per essence of the SLGO 2001.

The district council also called upon the government to ensure that outstanding dues of sugarcane growers dealing with Mehran Sugar Mills should be paid to them as per decision of the Sindh government.

In this effect Nazim of Pak Singhar union council tabled a resolution in the council which was unanimously adopted.

He said that sugar mills owed Rs50 million for the year 2002-03 to the cane growers and this amount was to be paid by Dec 31.

He added that this mill was also required to pay last year’s quality premium by Jan 31, 2004 but it was not in a mood to clear the dues.

He demanded of the Sindh government and the cane commissioner, the DCO of Hyderabad, to ensure that the dues of sugarcane growers were paid in order to end unrest among them.

The council also adopted another resolution, moved by Memon, regarding issuance of indent by the said mill to growers. He called for doing away with the role of middlemen because growers were compelled to sell sugarcane at the rate of Rs32 per 40kgs through middlemen, created by the mill management.

He stated that because of this factor the growers were being exploited. The council condemned attempt on the life of President Gen Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi and called for an inquiry by the government agencies.