SWABI, Jan 20: The NWFP government has decided to spend the Rs40 million fund of district council on major uplift projects in district Swabi instead of dividing this amount among the Nazims of 56 union councils, woman councillors, minority members and labour representatives, said the convener of the district council Mohammad Jamil advocate while talking to Dawn here on Sunday.

He said the district government had pledged that the district council fund would be given to the members of the district council but the NWFP government had conveyed to the district government that the whole district council fund was allocated for vital projects and the council could not get it.

“This decision has opened a Pandora’s box for the district government as it was widely condemned and opposed by all elected members,” he said.

The district government had decided that Rs11,00,000 would be given to each union council of which Rs500,000 were the district council fund. Under the devised plan, he said, the union council Nazims were authorized to identify development projects in their respective areas and spend the sanctioned amount on them. However, now this facility had been withdrawn.

Mohammad Jamil advocate said that a speech in this regard was made by the district Nazim Sher Zaman Sher in the budget session and welcomed by the district council.

Besides the union council Nazims, the 18 women councillors, minorities and peasant members had also been deprived of the development fund. Under the agreed formula, each woman councillor, minority and peasant member was to get Rs10,000 as development fund. They were also empowered to spend the money on the development projects like the union council Nazims.

This decision comes after the government refused to announce honorarium for them.

The convener said the district government had no option but to uphold the NWFP government decision and now each union council would get Rs 540,000 instead of Rs1,100,000. After the withdrawal of district council fund the total share of each union council remained Rs600,000 but 10 per cent would be slashed from it for zila council which further reduced their share, he added.

In contrast, he said the development fund of other members (woman councillors, minorities and labour/peasant members) had completely been abolished.

He said the members of the council had already been informed about the government decision and a detailed meeting with the local officials, including the DCO, was also held five days back.

He said the reaction of the council members was harsh who had started giving applications for the convening of the district council session which may be convened in the first week of the next month. Going by the infuriated mood of the members, it is quite likely the session would be a stormy one, he added. SWABI, Jan 20: The NWFP government has decided to spend the Rs40 million fund of district council on major uplift projects in district Swabi instead of dividing this amount among the Nazims of 56 union councils, woman councillors, minority members and labour representatives, said the convener of the district council Mohammad Jamil advocate while talking to Dawn here on Sunday.

He said the district government had pledged that the district council fund would be given to the members of the district council but the NWFP government had conveyed to the district government that the whole district council fund was allocated for vital projects and the council could not get it.

“This decision has opened a Pandora’s box for the district government as it was widely condemned and opposed by all elected members,” he said.

The district government had decided that Rs11,00,000 would be given to each union council of which Rs500,000 were the district council fund. Under the devised plan, he said, the union council Nazims were authorized to identify development projects in their respective areas and spend the sanctioned amount on them. However, now this facility had been withdrawn.

Mohammad Jamil advocate said that a speech in this regard was made by the district Nazim Sher Zaman Sher in the budget session and welcomed by the district council.

Besides the union council Nazims, the 18 women councillors, minorities and peasant members had also been deprived of the development fund. Under the agreed formula, each woman councillor, minority and peasant member was to get Rs10,000 as development fund. They were also empowered to spend the money on the development projects like the union council Nazims.

This decision comes after the government refused to announce honorarium for them.

The convener said the district government had no option but to uphold the NWFP government decision and now each union council would get Rs 540,000 instead of Rs1,100,000. After the withdrawal of district council fund the total share of each union council remained Rs600,000 but 10 per cent would be slashed from it for zila council which further reduced their share, he added.

In contrast, he said the development fund of other members (woman councillors, minorities and labour/peasant members) had completely been abolished.

He said the members of the council had already been informed about the government decision and a detailed meeting with the local officials, including the DCO, was also held five days back.

He said the reaction of the council members was harsh who had started giving applications for the convening of the district council session which may be convened in the first week of the next month. Going by the infuriated mood of the members, it is quite likely the session would be a stormy one, he added.