TIMERGARA, Jan 22: Irregularities have been alleged in spending funds allocated by the Aurat Foundation for mobilizing public opinion and raising awareness of women’s participation in the local government elections 2001, in the Lower Dir district.

The Aurat Foundation, an NGO working for women’s rights, had allocated Rs200,000 each for various districts in the North West Frontier Province, including the Lower Dir district.

The foundation set up a district coordination council (DCC), comprising office-bearers of different social organizations, to hold seminars and political gatherings to raise awareness among the masses and ensure that a large number of women contested the local government elections.

Sources said the two bodies entered into an agreement, according to which the NGO provided Rs27,000 for three months’ rent and other expenses of the head office, Rs18,000 each for the sub-offices at Chakdara and Samar Bagh and Rs68,000 for holding seminars in 34 union councils of the district.

The sources said Rs15,000 had been earmarked for setting up a camp court at Timergara and Rs7,000 each for the camp courts at Chakdara and Samar Bagh. An amount of Rs10,000 was allocated for holding a joint meeting of all political parties and Rs3,000 each for programmes of political workers at the tehsil level.

DCC Information Secretary Mohammad Israr told Dawn that no seminars or programmes for political workers were held anywhere in the district.  

He said that only a camp was set up for women candidates at Chakdara on the day of submission of nomination papers. He termed the DDC performance zero as the women of the area could not opted for contesting the local government elections owing to public pressure.

Israr said the DCC members had totally ignored the schedule of the Aurat Foundation and served their own personal interests. They claimed big amounts against bogus and fake bills, he added.

He alleged that the NGO also did not bother to see whether the money was used properly. He urged the governor’s inspection team to hold inquiry into the misappropriation of the funds.