KARACHI, Jan 5: Town and taluka nazims have been urged to plan and implement those development programmes which could cater to the needs of the entire population of their respective jurisdictions.

Local Government Secretary Ishaq Lashari, speaking at a workshop on the annual sector plan 2005-06, observed that town municipal administrations (TMAs) were still reluctant to bear complete responsibility of the areas falling in their jurisdictions.

He said that town or taluka nazims should not restrict their role to a particular union council, but they should look into the matters, pertaining to development, that related to all union councils falling in their jurisdiction as provided under the local government system.

Earlier, the official was informed that the workshop was a part of the Sindh Devolved Social Services Programme (SDSSP) for finding new ways to utilize the available funds during its second year of implementation in a better manner.

Under the SDSSP, funds are directly provided to town municipal administrations, providing them an opportunity to plan and execute projects according to their needs.

Mr Lashari said that the introduction of LG system had made it possible for public representatives to have their say in development at grassroots level.

He pointed out that the provincial finance department was now providing the allocated funds directly to town municipal administrations every month.

Officials from finance department, local government department, and town and taluka nazims from Karachi, Jamshoro, Badin and Thatta attended the workshop which was organized by the Sindh Finance Department.—PPI