KHYBER: Non-cooperation by tehsil municipal officers (TMOs), district administration and police have confronted elected tehsil councils in Khyber with paucity of funds for much needed development schemes, according to sources.

They alleged that TMO in Bara was unilaterally utilising all the funds generated from different sources and district administration in Landi Kotal was obstructing collection of revenue from legitimate sources.

Bara tehsil chairman Mufti Kafeel alleged that Bara TMO was unlawfully usurping his powers to not only collect funds from different sources but he was also utilising those funds by himself which was in complete violation of local government rules and regulations.

He said that Bara TMO had only recently cancelled the no objection certificate (NOC) his council had granted for operating various public transport stands (Adda) while also depriving the council of collecting revenue under conservancy, public ads and rent from shops, kiosks and handcarts etc established on state land.

He said that the meagre revenue that came to the council was from a parking facility inside the TMA building and a cattle market near Bara Bazaar, which could not cater to the needs of the council.

Javed Khan, a village council chairman in Bara, told Dawn that as acting chairman of Bara tehsil council in the absence of Mufti Kafeel during his Umrrah visit, he lodged written complaints about the uncooperative attitude of Bara TMO with provincial minister for local government, secretary of local government and commissioner of Peshawar while also demanding his immediate transfer.

He accused the TMO of not attending and not recording the minutes of council meetings despite repeated requests, constantly avoiding requests for presenting the annual budget and not possessing any transparency in the bidding process of various tenders.

He said that though the TMO was once transferred, he reversed his transfer order with active support of local MPA and other influential personalities of Bara. “Our local government system would not progress till political interference is stopped in its affairs,” he said.

This scribe tried to ascertain the point of view of Bara TMO but he refused to furnish any information without having all the official documents in his possession while also abruptly dropping the telephone call.

In Landi Kotal too, the tehsil council is faced with financial issues as the chairman, Shah Khalid Shinwari, has accused district administration officials and police of stopping council members from revenue collection.

He alleged that though revenue collection from taxi stands, Tehbazari (rent from commercial buildings on state land), NOC for construction of new commercial buildings, towers of mobile phone companies and filling stations and conservancy fee was the mandate of tehsil municipal authority, the district administration through tehsildar and assistant commissioner was creating hurdles to the performance of their legitimate responsibilities.

“We constantly need active support and backing of district administration and police for true implementation of local government by-laws and revenue collection but they do not want the system to flourish,” he said.

He said that only tehsil chairman was legally authorised to utilise funds generated through various means while also having the authority to give approval to all the receipts and expenditures.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2025