RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) is in a catch-22 situation on how to spend the Rs10 million the provincial government released to it for utilisation on the welfare of deserving people in the union councils.

Under the Local Government Act 2013, the municipal corporation has to distribute the amount among deserving people.

“If the amount is distributed among all the 46 union councils, each UC will get a little over Rs200,000 for distribution among deserving people each year,” said a senior official of the RMC.

Punjab govt released amount for welfare of less privileged people in 46 union councils in the city

He said the RMC had suggested to Mayor Sardar Naseem to use the amount for the establishment of vocational or computer centres to impart training to children as well as widows.

“The mayor asked the elected members to come up with suggestions on how to spend the money. The elected members said computer centres should be established in the middle of two union councils where girls can be imparted training so that they can find jobs in the private sector.”

He said there was another suggestion to set up a vocational centre in every union council where girls and widows would be trained on stitching and embroidery.

However, he said, some members opposed the idea and said stitching and embroidery was an old trade and training should be imparted to the youth on mobile phone and computer repairs.

“But the suggestions were not accepted by the mayor who constituted a three-member committee to give proposals on how to spend the money.” He said the committee would compile its report within two weeks and submit it to the mayor after which the latter would place it in the elected house for approval.

“If the house approves the suggestion of the committee it will be implemented otherwise another committee will be formed to get more suggestions,” he said.

When contacted, RMC Chief Executive Officer Khalid Goraya said the funds for deserving people would be spent soon after the report of the committee.

He said the distribution of cash among deserving people would not benefit them in the long run. The RMC wants to establish training or vocational centres to help the youth in finding respectable jobs, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2017