MULTAN, Oct 16: The new local government system though has ensured participation of people in the decision making, a major shortcoming in it is that the policies envisioned at the local councils have to be implemented through bureaucracy.

This was observed by District Nazim Riaz Hussain Qureshi while talking to a delegation of officials under training at the Civil Services Academy here on Thursday.

Pointing out another flaw in the system, he said the district Nazim was made responsible for the law and order situation without giving police under his control. He also criticized the distribution of funds between urban and rural union councils and termed its formula unjustified.

He said that a system of LGs existed everywhere in the world irrespective of whether there was a democratic system or dictatorship of monarchy. He said that LGs carried out the development works while parliamentarians had to do the legislative work.

He said the Multan city tehsil council had earned an income from its 58 union councils in the form of local levies which was 150 per cent more than that of the income of the district government.

Mr Qureshi said the district government bore Rs120 million expenditures on educational institutions functioning in the area of city tehsil administration. Besides, the nazims and naib nazims of UCs fell under the city tehsil also got funds from the district government and tehsil council, respectively, as being their members.

On the other hand, he said the rural councils were facing paucity of funds to complete the development works in their areas. “A gap of development is likely to emerge if the provincial government does not provide more funds to cope with the discrimination against rural councils”, he added.

The UCs, formerly town committees, were facing more financial crunch because of a gap between expenditures and income. He said either the town committees be restored or they should be given more funds to meet their expenses.

District coordination officer Muhammad Ijaz Chaudhry briefed the commission about the performance of the district government and development schemes being underway in the area.