PESHAWAR: Pakistan People’s Party has expressed concern over delay in provision of offices and funds to the elected representatives of local governments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, PPP provincial information secretary Farzand Ali Khan described it complete failure of the provincial government. He said that despite passing of more than five months, the government could not implement its plan to devolve powers to the grassroots level.

The PPP leader said that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan had promised to empower common people but he failed to honour his words. The elections were held in 2015 but offices were yet to be given to the elected representatives, he added.

He said that release of funds to local governments was also an issue as deputy commissioners and town municipal administrators were still in power and nazims had no authority to operate accounts of the official funds meant for development schemes in their respective localities.

The PPP leader said that elected representatives were just wasting their precious time by visiting offices of different government departments to resolve issues of people. None of the officers were ready to extend cooperation to them across the province, he added.

Mr Khan alleged that funds were given only to those elected representatives, who belonged to the ruling parties.

He said that local governments should be given powers to take decisions on their own for resolution to people’s issues.

The PPP leader said that local governments were supposed to play vital role in strengthening of democracy and training of political workers but in the present circumstances there was a chaos. The irresponsible attitude of government had forced the elected representatives to resign en bloc.

Mr Khan said that PPP was determined to raise voice for implementation of local government law in real sense so that the elected people could get offices and funds for initiating developmental schemes and have say in postings and transfers of employees.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2016