RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) elected members and the administrative officials have failed to resolve their issues.

Station Commander Brig. Hassan Raza on Friday called a special meeting of the board to discuss the issues between the elected members and the RCB officials.

The RCB vice-president, Raja Jehandad Khan, and Cantonment Executive Officer Dr Saima Shah were also present.

However, the meeting ended on the promise that development schemes worth Rs10 million would be launched in 10 wards of the cantonment on the recommendations of the elected members.

It was an unusual board meeting which was not announced by the RCB administration and its agenda was limited to resolve issues between the elected members and the officials.

A senior leader of the PML-N in the cantonment areas told Dawn that the role of the elected members in the tax assessment committee was limited due to their internal differences.

He said at present the ruling party’s 10 elected members were divided in two groups: one led by Malik Abrar and the other by RCB vice-president Raja Jehandad Khan.

“Because of the grouping, the bureaucracy has become stronger. Senator Chaudhry Tanveer tried to end the differences between the two groups but both stick to their guns,” he said.

A senior official of the RCB added that the elected members were in distress as the officials of the RCB did not facilitate them. He said after one year in office, the members had failed to launch development schemes in their areas.

However, he said it was not the fault of the RCB administration as it was facing financial problems and speeding up the recovery of taxes and fees to generate revenues.

He said the Punjab government had promised to provide Rs10 million for the elected members so that they would launch development projects but released only Rs5 million in May.

When contacted, RCB vice-president Raja Jehandad Khan admitted that a special meeting of the board had been summoned.

“The meeting was limited to discuss issues before the formal meeting of the board for the approval of the annual budget.”

He said the meeting decided to start development schemes in 10 wards of the cantonment as soon as the funds are transferred to the RCB accounts. He said the board also decided to provide relief to the citizens in the annual budget, and that there would be no new taxes.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2016