GUJRAT: The union council chairmen belonging to opposition parties PML-Q and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday lodged a strong protest against “ignoring” them in disbursement of Rs2.5 million development funds meant for each UC in the district.

They have also rejected the PML-N’s “policy of utilising these funds on the proposals of the ruling party-backed candidates who had lost the local bodies elections at the hands of opposition parties”, demanding their due share of the uplift schemes proposed by them for their respective constituencies.

As many as two dozen elected chairmen from opposition parties belonging to various rural UCs across the district, led by opposition leader in the district council Chaudhary Ghulam Rasool Shariq and PML-Q chairman of Mungowal UC Amjad Iqbal Butt, gathered at the district administration complex to convey their “serious concern” over the issue to the senior officials of the administration.

The protesting chairmen apprised Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali of their concern at a meeting attended by district council chairman Tanveer Kotla, Deputy Director (development) Chaudhry Asghar and other officials concerned.

The chairmen said they had submitted their proposals regarding the development schemes in their UCs a few months ago and were told each UC would be provided Rs1 million grant. However, they deplored, these schemes were yet to be executed.

They alleged the ruling party group in the district council had completely ignored them in the disbursement of Rs2.5 million grant and did not even sought their proposals regarding the uplift schemes in violation of democratic norms.

They lamented that the grant was being spent on the schemes proposed by the loosing candidates belonging to the PML-N in their respective UCs.

They demanded the DC to intervene into the matter on behalf of the Punjab government for resolution of the issue.

The DC and district council chairman told the opposition chairmen that the funds would be spent as per the policy devised by the local government department.

However, they were assured that their concern would be conveyed to the provincial government and also asked them to submit their proposals for the development schemes which “might be considered.”

Mr Kotla told Dawn that he had earlier entertained the schemes proposed by the opposition members of the district council for grant of Rs1m to each rural UC and the schemes would be executed soon.

He added that the opposition members were also being given Rs200,000 each for ensuring sanitation in their respective UCs under the “Saaf Dehat” (clean villages) programme of the Punjab government.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2017