GUJRAT: Some opposition members and a treasury member of the Gujrat Municipal Corporation (GtMC) have lodged a protest against “diverting Rs30 million uplift funds for each union council to one project of installation of streetlights.”

They pledged to launch a legal battle if their proposed uplift schemes in the respective urban UCs are not entertained.

Some UC chairmen of the PML-Q as well as a treasury member lodged protest during a session, with Deputy Mayor Asif Raza in the chair, on Tuesday.

The Punjab government has already released Rs2.5 million for the development of each urban and rural union council across the province. The administration of the municipal corporation has proposed the installation of LED streetlights in various parts of the city against these funds.

PML-N’s Muhammad Ashraf, chairman of UC 1 in Gujrat city, was the first to protest that the Rs2.5 million fund meant for the development of his UC had been diverted to the installation of the streetlights ignoring the schemes proposed by him.

Mian Pervez Akhtar Pagganwala (PML-Q backed UC chairman) said the corporation bosses had exceeded their mandate by diverting the funds without consulting the House against which the opposition members had now decided to wage a legal struggle. He said his colleagues in the district council had already approached court and got the stay order.

The chief officer municipal corporation told Dawn that the funds had been released by the Punjab government and these had nothing to do with the House and its proceedings. The funds meant for the uplift schemes in the UCs would be spent through a district steering committee being headed by the deputy commissioner and the deputy director Local Government Department.

He said the elected members had been asked to approach the steering committee instead of raising the matter in the House. He claimed that the UC chairmen themselves had proposed the installation of streetlights and funds were diverted to ensure the project.

Deputy Director Local Government Khurram Warraich told Dawn that since there was a provision in the directions of the Punjab government that these funds could be utilised on installation of streetlights, the corporation’s administration proposed the spending of these funds on this particular project.

Meanwhile, the treasury and opposition members expressed their grave concern over traffic mess in the city when Nighat Qureshi pointed out the issue and the House unanimously passed a resolution demanding that the poor traffic arrangement be addressed.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2017