DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 6: The district council approved development schemes worth Rs220 million on Tuesday for Citizen Community Boards (CCBs) schemes amid boycott from the opposition.

The opposition, led by the Legharis, said the quorum of the session was incomplete and in the absence of district nazim, which the opposition claims is Maqsood Leghari, the approval for funds was illegal. The Khosa group claims Maqsood Leghari has been removed from the office through a no-confidence move last year. Now, the matter is in court.Convener Asim Zubair Khosa, who is from the ruling Khosa group, claimed that he be considered district nazim in the absence of district nazim.

The opposition members staged walkout against, what they called, the approval of schemes illegally.

Opposition members Habib Leghari, Hasnain Khosa and Younis Parvaiz said the opposition would challenge the approval of CCBs schemes in court as the quorum was incomplete and the status of the signatory authority had yet to be decided. They claimed 51 members were required for the approval of such schemes but only 36 members were present in the session.

Convener Khosa said that there was no need for one-third majority for the approval of schemes.

Another important thing about the session was that the top bureaucracy was conspicuous by its absence from the session. The district coordination officer, the district police officer and executive district officers did not attend the session. Union Nazim Mir Miraza Khan Talpur pointed out the absence of the district administration from the house.

A row between Maqsood Leghari and then district naib nazim Dost Muhammad Khosa erupted last year which have put the district council affairs at a standstill.

The first term of the district council, headed by Jamal Leghari, also witnessed continuous rows between the district nazim and the district administration. At least three DCOs and DPOs were transferred during the term of Jamal Leghari. Only two schemes were executed in the first term of the district government.

In the second term, Dost Muhammad Khosa left the office of naib district nazim after his row with the district nazim. After the 2008 elections, things took turn in favour of the Khosas and Dost Khosa became the chief minister for three months. He held a no-confidence move against the district nazim.