HYDERABAD, July 6: District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman has said the devolution of power plan is a genuine democratic system which empowers public representatives to plan and execute social and development policies at grass-root level.

He was talking to a group of under-training probationary officers of the 31st common training programme of the Civil Service Academy Walton, Lahore, at his secretariat here on Monday.

He said in the previous system, public representatives, including MPAs, MNAs and senators, were authorized only to recommend proposals to bureaucrats but they had nothing to do with execution of development schemes.

The nazim said in addition to development schemes undertaken by the district government, a development package of Rs10.5 billion had also been got approved from the president. He said his government was giving priority to the roads sector and sewerage.

He said big road schemes had been taken in hand by the district government and by the end of its tenure, main arteries of the city would have been repaired and renovated. However, he said delay in release of funds had affected execution of schemes and added that had the funds been released to the district government on time, many projects would have been completed.

He said problems of communication, gas, electrification, water supply and sewerage would be resolved after the uplift plan of the Hyderabad district was completed. Mr Rafiquzzaman said under the new system, public representatives could also monitor expenditures and quality of work.

He said some overlapping in exercising powers by Sindh and district governments was being experienced, creating confusion. Quoting an example, he said by virtue of his post, the EDO, health, was supposed to work under guidelines of the district government but he was also responsible to the director-general, health, and higher authorities of his department.

Similarly, he said, purchase of medicines, which was supposed to be made by the EDO concerned, was being done at the provincial level which created problems for the district to meet itsrequirements in emergency.

He said if the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2001, was implemented in letter and spirit, all bottlenecks and problems in the system would be solved. Replying to a question, the nazim said Hyderabad was paying Rs17.5 billion tax annually to the government.

He the district government had sought launching of a cargo service from Hyderabad. He said his government had also proposed provision of 10 acres of land to SITE, Hyderabad, for establishing a cottage industry.

He said the Hyderabad district was exporting different items worth $500 million, as such establishment of a export processing zone was essential and it had been recommended to the government.

Mr Rafiquzzaman suggested that in future, the condition of graduation should also be made compulsory for the post of the district nazim as he had to deal with different technical and financial matters.

DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed briefed the officers on the working of the district government. He said 35,000 employees were working in different organizations of the district, comprising eight talukas and 102 union councils.

He said due to some financial problems the district government had not prepared its budget for current fiscal year and expressed the hope that matter would be resolved in few day.

The DCO said although the HDA had not been devolved, it was being funded by the district government. Talking about Wasa, he said it had made a recovery of Rs9.5 million which was not sufficient even to pay salaries to staff.He said the system of Wasa was too old and needed revamping. All EDOs and other officers were present on the occasion.