February 05, 2008	Tuesday	Muharram 26, 1429

KARACHI, Feb 4: The proceedings of the City Council session on Monday was once again marred by protests by the opposition benches, accusing the city government of ‘blocking uplift funds’ earmarked for their union councils.

The opposition members said that the city nazim had announced Rs9.6 million for each union council during the budget session. Despite the fact that the financial year was approaching its end, funds were not adequately being given to the opposition union councils creating difficulties in carrying out development activities, they charged.

The convener of the City Council, Nasreen Jalil, tried to calm down the protesting members who were raising slogans in support of their demand ie restoration of UC funds.

She asked the chairman of the house accounts committee, Mirza Aftab, to explain the financial position of development schemes in each town. Not convinced by the explanation offered by the chairman, the opposition members led by Saeed Ghani and Rafiq Ahmed boycotted the proceedings of the remaining session.

The convener asked the house leader, Asif Siddiqui, to persuade the opposition members to participate in the session so that the routine agenda could be taken up.

The opposition members, however, refused to back down and announced that they would stage a rally in front of the Karachi Press Club.

Criticising the opposition’s behaviour, Mr Siddiqui said that instead of working for the welfare of the citizens, the opposition was always bent upon promoting its own political agenda.

Treasury councillor Ahsan Siddiqui slammed the opposition for creating the UC funds controversy. Another councillor, Abdul Jalil, said that the house must devise a method to counter the frequent walkouts staged by the opposition benches.

Mr Jalil called for a cut in the daily allowance of all those members who leave the house earlier than the appointed hour.

Earlier, when the house resumed its session, members raised several issues including bird flu, traffic and law and order. Once again, in the absence of the opposition members, the house adopted a number of resolutions.

A resolution condemned the attack on Orangi town nazim, naib nazim, town municipal officer, Orangi UC-6 nazim and other employees of the city government and urged the government to take action against the members of the land mafia allegedly behind the attack.

The house also approved a proposal for the district health cadre and referred it to the district committee for coordination and human resource management committee.

It also gave its approval for the creation of 52 posts of Grade-18 in the works and services department. Apart from this, another resolution approved the creation of new posts in the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

The house also approved a resolution for the cancellation of a lease granted to a public toilet situated on plot no RC-4-91/A measuring 211 square yards, which was illegally allotted to the owner of the plot.

Later, the convener adjourned the house session indefinitely.