SHEIKHUPURA, Dec 17: District Nazim Chaudhry Tawakalullah Virk has asked the federal and provincial governments to empower the local administration to impose tax on industrial unit here to spend the collected money on development works.

He was speaking at a programme organized by the National Reconstruction Bureau’s media and governance cell to discuss the government’s performance and the status of development projects. The local mediamen, who attended the meetings, also visited various places to discern the development work.

A delegation of reporters called on District Public Safety Commission chairman Hafiz Ehsan Ahmad Khokar, District Coordination Officer Muhammad Ayub Qazi and District Police Officer Chaudhry Muhammad Nawaz Warriach to discuss with them performance of their departments.

The programme is first of its kind in Sheikhupura and the other districts will also organize such programmes to bring to light development projects, performance of the local administrations and grievances of the general public.

The Nazim briefed newsmen on various works and future planning. He said the district government had been facing problems due to shortage of funds.

During the last two years, the district government had spent Rs4.5 billion on development and non-development sectors, he said.

The officials and newsmen visited the local TB hospital and examined the construction work for extension of bed capacity from 50 to 150. The Nazim said patients from Gujranwala and Hafizabad also came here for treatment. The Nazim donated Rs12,000 from his own pocket for the purchase of 40 blankets for the admitted patients.

The newsmen, later, visited a special education centre for children, gymnasium hall at Sheikhupura Stadium and District Headquarter Hospital along with the Nazim, DCO and other officials.