LAHORE, Aug 17: The ruling PML, the PPP, the PML-N and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml are the major parties taking part in the local elections in the Punjab, the first phase of which is due to be held on Thursday (today).

All parties are expecting major victories in the polls, the second under the devolution plan.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who is also provincial president of the ruling party, said recently that candidates being supported by his party would sweep the polls.

PPP’s provincial president Qasim Zia, PML-N general secretary Zaeem Qadri and the MMA leaders also made similar claims.

The ARD parties and the MMA have made adjustments at various places to defeat the government-backed candidates. However, the ruling party thinks that it is in a better position to win despite the so-called adjustments made by the opposition parties.

While all other parties have formidable position in Punjab, the MMA has yet to establish that it has a following in the country’s biggest province.

According to official sources, the outgoing local councils spent Rs 243,564 million during their four-year tenure.

The district governments in all spent Rs 208,743 million. Of this, Rs 43,043 million were spent during the first year of their installation and Rs 50,858 million and Rs 54,309 million in the subsequent two years.

During the last year of their term, they spent Rs 60,533 million.

The TMAs, according to statistics, were allocated Rs 24,305 million during their four years in office. Of this, Rs 3,752 million were allocated during the first year, Rs 6,792 million and Rs 6,847 million for the next two years. For the year 2004-05, they were given Rs 6,914 million. The union councils were given Rs 2,410 million during their first year in office and Rs 2,702 million each in the subsequent three years. In total, they spent Rs 10,516 million during their four-year term.

Although some ruling party legislators had alleged embezzlements of billions of rupees in some districts, no investigations were carried out.

The National Accountability Bureau had indicated that it was looking into the matter, but did not give any details.

The accounts of the local councils were not audited during their four-year term.

xxcv bhyj—ASHRAF MUMTAZ