HYDERABAD, Feb 23: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Thursday issued notice to the Sindh local government department and UC Jinhan Soomro through its nazim on a constitutional petition, challenging the shifting of the UC office to Otaq.

The petitioner, Mohammad Usman, a councillor, said that since 1960 Jinhan Soomro was headquarter of the UC. He said the village has 1,000 houses and it was fit to be the UC headquarters.

On August 24, 1991, then additional chief secretary local government issued a notification shifting its headquarters to Rahim Katiar village.

Later, it was realised that there was no place for its offices and the notification was withdrawn through another notification dated September 23, 1991.

He said the subsequent notification was not complied with.

He said instead of requiring former councillor through UC Jinhan Soomro to obey orders the then additional CS (LG) issued another illegal and malafide notification dated February 6, 1992 shifting the headquarter again to Katiar village while issuing another order for auction of building of the UC.

He said the court that then chairman UC Abdul Karim Soomro filed a constitutional petition which was allowed by court on March 16, 1992 and in view of order Jinhan Soomro continued to be headquarter of the UC. He said that in October 2005 without any notification and lawful authority UC Nazim illegally removed furniture, fittings, fixtures, office material to his Otaq at Dita Wah.

He said that the UC nazim illegally spent an amount of Rs60,000 over repair and renovation of his Otaq from UC funds despite submission of representations by the petitioner, MPA of the area and other people.

He said the local government department referred the matter to the director-general for inquiry but since December 2005 respondents were not taking action against UC Nazim with the result that UC headquarter was functioning in his Otaq.