HYDERABAD, Jan 9: Rural and urban members of the district council appeared sharply divided at a session of the council on Saturday on two proposals relating to formation of a city district government.

District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman and DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed have submitted separate proposals on the issue. The nazim has recommended a city district government, comprising eight talukas, whereas the DCO has called for formation of a city government consisting of three urban talukas and part of the Hyderabad (rural) taluka.

In the wake of Saturday's session when tension seemed to be growing between the members, the ongoing session, earlier fixed for Monday, had been postponed sine die, a communication issued by convener Nawab Rashid Ali Khan said.

The convener told this correspondent that after consultation with District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman, the session had been postponed till a reply to the proposal of the nazim was received from the Sindh government.

"It is clear that no consensus resolution can be passed under such circumstances because we will oppose a proposal of city district government comprising eight talukas and our colleagues from rural areas will oppose a city government based on three talukas", said a City Taluka Council member.

He referred to a resolution on formation of a city government on three talukas which has been pending for two years because rural areas' members are not ready to support it.

No formal discussion has been held after the nazim's speech but Awam Dost Panel members of rural areas have made it clear that they will not allow formation of a city district government on three talukas. They back the nazim's proposal.

Members from Latifabad and Hyderabad talukas have decided not to support the district nazim's proposal on the ground that it does not fulfil a requirement of section 8 of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2001, dealing with criteria for creation of a city government.

On Saturday, the DCO did not attend the session to brief the council about his proposal. After discussing the tsunami disaster, rural areas' members diverted the discussion to the proposal of the nazim and opposed formation of city district government on eight talukas.

The situation has grown tense after a statement of the district nazim, saying bifurcation of the district will lead to ethnic riots. Even some members from rural areas noted the statement with concern.

A member from the Matiari taluka said the nazim should not have spoken in such tone because it had created unnecessary tension. Another rural area member said the matter should be discussed in the light of provisions of the SLGO instead of debating it on ethnic lines.

A member said the entire district could not be declared a city district under section 8 of the SLGO because it said the government, by notification in official gazette, could declare a taluka or talukas within one or more adjoining districts a city district.