KARACHI, Dec 2: Development works in the city were being delayed owing to withholding of their funds by the city government's finance department on the one pretext or the other.

This was stated by the leader of Al-Khadim group in the City Council, Siddique Rathore, at a press conference here on Wednesday.

Deploring that although about half of the current financial year had elapsed since June when the CDGK's budget was passed by the City Council and in which Rs 64 lakh were allocated for each union council for development works, the finance department has not yet released the funds.

Accusing the lower staff of the CDGK's finance department of creating hurdles in the UCs' upliftment plans, he said he had brought the issue to the notice of the DCO, Fazalur_Rehman and he had given instructions to the EDO Finance for early disbursement of the funds among all UCs.

He also regretted that the issue pertaining to honorarium of Naib Nazims of Town administrations and union councils has also not yet been resolved. He announced that councillors' convention was being organized in the city on Dec 12 under the aegis of Al-Khadim group.

The convention in which the NRB chairman, Daniyal Aziz, was being invited will discuss the new local government system and recommend ways and means to improve the system.

Others present on the occasion included Saddar Town's Naib Nazim, M Wazir Rehbar, UCs nazims Abdul Razzak Sangani and Taazim Siddiqui, councillors Siraj Qureshi and Salim Qureshi.