RAWALPINDI: The absence of rules for its operation has meant the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has stopped its development works worth Rs40 million in the city as its accounts are still frozen.

After the change of the local government system on Jan 1, the provincial government froze the accounts of the defunct Rawal Town Municipal Administration, which is now the RMC.

According to the schedule, the civic body had called tenders for development work worth Rs40 million in various areas of the city on Jan 24 and 29 but now has to cancel them.

The ongoing development work worth Rs140 million was also stopped after contractors said they wanted the amount they were owned to be paid first before they carry out further development work.

A senior RMC official told Dawn that the government has to issue terms of reference and rules for the working of different departments soon after the notification for the establishment of the RMC, as financial problems will be created otherwise.

He said it will be difficult for the RMC to pay staff salaries as its accounts are still frozen.

The official added that the finance department sent details of the accounts and plans for the development work to the provincial government two months ago and that the Punjab government had in turn to inform them about the working terms of the departments.

When the issue was discussed with Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem, he asked to wait for the notification, the official said, adding that the mayor and deputy mayor had not yet started working in their offices and that other officials come in on time but do not have work to do.

“RMC is not collecting building plan applications as there are no rules about who will be checking the plans and where the fee for their approval will be submitted,” he said.

At present, the senior official said, the RMC is working on removing encroachments in the city bazaar as per court directives adding that other civic issues were not yet taken up.

More than Rs300 million had been allocated in the 2016-17 budget for development works and the provincial government had directed the defunct RTMA to start work in the provincial constituencies on the recommendations of local PML-N leaders, whether they are elected or not.

When asked, RMC Finance Officer Shahzad Gondal said the RMC was working on re-starting development work and had informed the provincial government about the problems it was facing after the change of system.

All development work will be carried out according to the schedule, Mr Gondal said, and that contractors have been asked to finish projects within the stipulated time frame.

Published in Dawn, January 20th, 2017