HARIPUR, March 1: The Haripur Tehsil Council has sought a one-year extension in the tenure of all the three tiers of district government system across the country.

The demand was made in a resolution adopted at the monthly session of the council which was chaired by its convener, Mohammad Amin Khan Badhora.

After approving proceedings of the last session, Malik Mohammad Hanif, Naib Nazim, Union Council Ladarmang, moved a resolution, contending since the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies had a five-year term, the local government's tenure should be extended by one year as they played a substantive role in nurturing a democratic system in the country.

He suggested that a one-year extension should be accorded to the existing councils of all the three tiers of the country. The resolution, which was neither rejected nor adopted by the house, drew mixed reaction from the members.

Sheikh Abid, while speaking on the issue, rejected the resolution and supported the idea of fresh LB polls. He was also supported by Tehsil Nazim Iftikhar Ahmad Khan and Syed Fida Hussain Shah who said that the local governments were elected for three years and since these had already availed an extra year, so fresh elections should be held forthwith.

Raja Ehtesham, peasant councillor, said that the government should adopt a clear policy on this issue without wasting further time on it. He said that owing to prevailing uncertainty about the fate of local governments, the people were suffering at the hands of bureaucracy as their development schemes had been stalled.

The councillors also expressed their concern over the deteriorating condition of cleanliness in the urban union councils of the city and criticized the TMA for its slackness in providing cleanliness to the taxpayers.

They accused the administration for being hand in gloves with the sanitation staff most of which was deputed on some other duties. On this, the house agreed to form a six-member house committee, headed by Raja Ehtesham, which would monitor the progress of the sanitary staff and pay them salaries only when the committee was satisfied with their performance.

Lady Councillor Gul Ambrin Minhas criticized a cut of Rs100,000 from the funds earmarked for women development centres of the city and termed the decision of Tehsil Nazim as unjust and uncalled for.

SMUGGLING ATTEMPT: The Kotnajibullah police foiled an attempt to smuggle fine quality timber to Punjab and have arrested drivers of two vehicles which were being used for smuggling the timber here on Monday evening.