THATTA, Nov 4: DCO Laique Ahmed Memon has advised the district nazim to withdraw a recently-issued notification about formation of a five-member medicine procurement committee in the pursuance of a unanimously-adopted resolution of the Thatta district council.

A resolution, apprehending possibility of misappropriation in procurement of medicines and other items for district government-run health facilities and calling for the job to be assigned to a committee, was tabled at the last session of the district council. The council unanimously adopted the resolution and constituted a five-member procurement committee, comprising the EDO of health, nazims of concerned union councils, journalists and social workers.

The committee is to initiate its job with the purchase of medicines valued at Rs7.5 million and malaria vaccine worth Rs2.638 million.

It seems that this development has irked the DCO as on the receipt of a notification regarding formation of the committee and its powers, he in a letter No.DCO/TH-4074 sent to District Nazim Shafqat Hussain Shirazi has disputed the necessity of the committee and advised the nazim to withdraw the notification.

Dr Umer Memon, a UC nazim and a member of the committee, criticising the DCO’s attitude, said that the DCO had no right to ask for withdrawal of a unanimous decision of the district council.