RAWALPINDI: On the direction of the Punjab government, the town municipal administrations across the province utilised their development funds on the rent of close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras and walk-through gates for the security of Muharram processions.

In Rawalpindi, the seven town municipal administrations spent Rs10 million on the Muharram security arrangements. In the past, the provincial government used to bear all the expenditures of the security arrangements.

This year, the provincial government issued the directives to the TMAs to bear the expenditures of the security after taking permission from the district coordination officer (DCO) concerned.

After Ashura, the TMAs sent the bills to District Coordination Officer (DCO) Sajid Zafar Dall for the final approval to pay the rent.

The Rawal Town Municipal Administration (RTMA) spent Rs5 million, Potohar Town Municipal Administration Rs1.6 million, Taxila Rs2.4 million, Gujar Khan Rs1.2 million, Kalar Syedan Rs5.5 million and Kotli Sattian and Murree towns spent Rs1 million.

On direction of Punjab govt, TMAs in Rawalpindi spent Rs10m on installation of CCTV cameras, walk-through gates

A senior official said the City District Government Rawalpindi (CDGR) also spent Rs2 million on providing transport to Rangers for their movement in different parts of the city.

He said in the past the local government received funds from the Punjab government for making the security arrangements.

The CDGR had planned to launch a Rs50 million project for the security surveillance of Ashura procession’s route in the garrison city and installed CCTV cameras on 10 kilometres area on a permanent basis.

On the other hand, PTI MPA from Rawal Town Arif Abbasi said the government wasted Rs50 billion on the metro bus project after which it had no option but to use the development funds of the TMAs.

“Roads and streets in Rawal Town are in bad conditions due to the lack of maintenance for over three years. The local elected representatives have no say in the civic bodies as PML-N leaders and bureaucracy are running the affairs of the city.”

PPP City spokesman Shujaat Naqvi said the provincial government neglected the inner parts of the Rawalpindi city as the residents did not vote for the PML-N in the 2013 elections. He said security was the responsibility of the provincial government but it was utilising the development funds of civic bodies.

When contacted, Rawal Town Municipal Officer Liaquat Ali said the RTMA spent money on the rent of CCTV cameras in Raja Bazaar and other areas around the traditional route of Ashura procession.

The DCO could not be contacted for comments.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2014