HYDERABAD, May 29: The District Council of Hyderabad on Thursday demanded an inquiry into the affairs of school management committees (SMCs) through the NAB.

The house also demanded suspension of Qazi Fida Hussain, the executive district officer (education) for his misleading statement regarding the scope of SMCs.

Convenor Nawab Rashid Ali Khan, who presided over the session, asked Miran Mohammad Shah to table a motion with reference to the statement made by Mr Qazi in which he had said that SMCs were independent and could purchase school material from open market.

He said the education department had issued a list of some particular suppliers for the purchase of furniture and other items. He added that the lists showed rates of goods 100 percent higher than open market rates. Shah said an inquiry should be conducted by the NAB and the ACE in this regard. He added that union council members should be included in purchase committees.

The house called for the dissolution of zakat committees and their re-election. Tabling a resolution, Mir Aslam Talpur, questioned the fairness of the distribution of zakat fund. He said that people were paid zakat after they greased palms of officials.

He said that officials must not be allowed discrimination on the political basis. He accused the district zakat committee chairman, Gul Hassan, of favouritism.

M Parkash said that minority should be paid from Bait-ul-maal whereas Q Hakim proposed appointment of three committees in each union council to check the working of zakat committees.

Problems of sanitation, health, traffic hazards, pollution and encroachment once again echoed in the house.

Dr Ayaz Arain, supported by Hussain Bux Hussaini, Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi and others, suggested a joint cleanliness campaign by the district government, union councils, police and other bodies on the pattern of Karachi city government.

Mr Arain said heaps of garbage every where in the three talukas of city, damaged sewerage lines, addicts, pollution are such genuine problems. He said the menace of encroachment had squeezed the space available in all markets.

Deploring the lack of coordination between different departments, he called upon the governor of Sindh to announce a similar campaign in Hyderabad district. He called for lifting of a ban on the appointment of sanitary workers.

Discussing shortage of refuse vans, Yusuf Quireshi suggested that three to four union councils should jointly purchase vans for their own uses which would lessen their problem of disposal of garbage.