MARDAN: The members of Mardan tehsil council have demanded restoration of Local Government Act 2019 in its original form and immediate provision of funds to all local bodies as per Provincial Finance Commission Award.

They also condemned Israeli atrocities in Palestine and called for a complete boycott of Israeli products and immediate closure of KFC outlet in Mardan. The demands were made at the meeting of the council held here on Thursday in Town Hall.

Addressing the meeting, city mayor Himayatullah Mayar said that two years passed since the establishment of local government system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “So far powers and funds have not been provided to this important tier of democratic system,” he added.

He said that funds were promised to local bodies under Provincial Finance Commission. He said that later the government deprived those institutions of funds by amending Local Government Act.

He said that local bodies were even unable to pay salaries to their employees owing to lack of funds. He said that they did not have resources to provide services to people in the absence of funds.

Mr Mayar said that with the amendment to the law, 42,000 elected representatives were rendered powerless and local bodies were made paralysed. He demanded of the government to restore local government law in its original form as per its promise and provide the funds to local bodies.

The meeting, through various resolutions demanded restoration of trade and professional tax, new policy for streetlights in different areas, fixing the rent of TMA-owned shops and properties as per the market and shifting transport stands from Mardan to Chamtar Bus Terminal with the consultation of tehsil council, the mayor and tehsil municipal administration.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2024