RAWALPINDI, Nov 17: The Punjab Minister for Local Government and Community Development Dost Mohammed Khosa on Monday said three towns of Rawalpindi district government topped the list of corrupt across the province.

In a statement, the minister said that the special audit teams constituted by the provincial government for auditing local government institutions had detected irregularities to the tune of Rs52 billion in144 towns in the province and Rawalpindi was on the top.

Mr Khosa said that town municipal administrations (TMAs) Rawal Town, Potohar Town and Murree were among the top three most corrupt towns in Punjab adding that the after compilation of audit report legal action would be taken against the elected representatives involved in embezzlements.

He said that provincial governments had submitted recommendations to the federal government regarding bringing reforms in the local government system adding that he would soon meet Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gillani in this regard.

Mr Khosa said the local government was a provincial subject and should be governed by the provincial governments and regretted that in the past years, the elected representatives had not delivered except for misappropriating development funds.

Mr Khosa said that under the local government system, the DCOs had been deprived of exercising their magisterial powers which resulted in law and order situation in the country adding that the appointments of commissioners would soon improve the security situation in Punjab.

The minister said he himself had been served his constituency as zila naib nazim for over two years adding that he was well aware of the corruption in local government system and vowed to recover the stolen money from the elected representatives.

The elected representatives particularly District Nazims and Town Nazims in the local government system in Punjab are affiliated with PML-Q have rejected the audit and vowed to resist any move aimed at abolition of the system.