RAWALPINDI, Feb 25: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has asked the ministry of local government and rural development, Punjab, to award the status of city district to Rawalpindi Tehsil as per Local Government Ordinance (LGO), 2001 , in order to encourage integrated development and strengthen the civic bodies here, sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

If awarded the city district status, the existing Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) would be abolished and a number of municipal administrations would be established at the town level after dividing the city into various blocks, keeping in view the population and geographical location of each block.

The municipal administration at the town level is called the Town Municipal Administration and is abbreviated as TMA, they said. However, instead of the Tehsil municipal administration, which is controlled by the Tehsil Nazim, the town municipal administration is answerable to the district Nazim.

At present Tehsil Nazim is the head of both RDA and TMA. However, he would no longer be in control of these civic agencies if Pindi was awarded the status of the city district.

The sources said some vested interests in the TMA were happy with the status quo, as it benefited them. Besides, the expected clash of power between the Tehsil and the district governments is keeping Rawalpindi deprived of its right of the district status for the last more than two years.

Nespak, a state-run engineering and consultative organisation, which, on behalf of the Asian Development Bank, has completed its technical study prior to the implementation of the forthcoming ADB-funded Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement Project (REIP), has also proposed the city government status for Rawalpindi Tehsil, the sources said.

Citing the reasons behind the ADB's demand, the official said: "Sections 8, 9 and 36 of the LGO, 2001 clearly describe the purposes and terms and conditions for giving the status of the district government to any Tehsil, and Rawalpindi Tehsil is eligible for the status, as it fulfils the basic three requirements."

The conditions for the city district status, as described by the officials, included minimum 1 million population, urban nature of the Tehsil and employment of about 60 per cent population in non-agriculture sector.

After becoming the city district, the roles of Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) and Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) would be further invigorated, as both the civic agencies would be free from the intervention of the TMA in their jurisdictions and duties.

The officials said the ADB was providing huge grants for development schemes in the city. However, the dream of integrated development could only be realized if each civic agency was free to act and the people of all the union councils could benefit from the schemes equally, which was impossible without converting the city into the city district.

When contacted Izharul Haq, an institutional development specialist at Nespak, told this reporter that Lahore and Peshawar had already been awarded the city district status and there were municipal administrations at the town level. While, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi lack the status.