MUZAFFARABAD, July 6: The AJK local government and rural development (LG&RD) department has withheld issuance of work orders of over 350 schemes reportedly under the directives of the LG&RD minister Raja Nisar Ahmed Khan, it was learnt.

These schemes, sources told Dawn here on Monday, were sanctioned late last month on the recommendations of the Legislative Assembly members from both treasury and opposition benches, including the cabinet members.

The total cost of these schemes, according to sources, was estimated at Rs120 million, of which around Rs90 million were transferred into "cushion head" in the last days of the previous financial year.

The funds for the execution of the schemes had also been released to the concerned districts, but the LG&RD minister withheld the schemes owing to which the department could not issue the work orders to the respective project leaders, source said.

The minister, sources said, was allegedly unhappy over the approval of the schemes submitted by some opposition as well as some ruling party lawmakers. Those schemes were approved by the LG&RD department secretary Sardar Siddique Khan, who retired from service on June 30.

"The word is that the minister has cancelled nearly half of the schemes belonging to the districts of Bagh, Poonch, Bhimber and Muzaffarabad," sources said on condition of anonymity.

The LG&RD minister belongs to district Kotli which is also the home district of AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat. Sources said a few schemes of district Kotli were also cancelled but those belonged to the constituency of opposition People's Party lawmaker, Chaudhry Amin.

Mr Khan, who also holds the portfolios of law, parliamentary affairs and finance, has been frequently accused over the past three years of transferring the LG&RD funds to district Kotli in general and to his constituency in particular.