HYDERABAD, May 30: The members of the Hyderabad District Council on Thursday disowned development schemes under the Khushal Pakistan Programme on the plea that neither the DCO nor the district Nazim had consulted them to identify uplift schemes in their respective union councils.

They stood up in protest when the DCO told the council that such schemes were identified by notables of the area and union council Nazims.

The council witnessed clamour when Hyderabad District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafikuzzaman and DCO Mir Hussain Ali presented their half yearly reports before the council.

Indications of rural and urban divide among members over disparity in allocation of funds in eight talukas were also visible in the session.

The members criticized the district Nazim and the DCO for their lack of coordination with the members which they said had led to unrest in union councils.

They said the district Nazim did not fulfil his promise to take them into confidence before floating tenders of schemes in newspapers.

After the member’s protest, the district Nazim asked the DCO to put on hold those schemes whose tenders had been floated and work orders had not been issued.

He said these schemes must be scrutinized by the works committee and called to form a three-member coordination committee to avoid such complaints.

He said Rs94.602 million had been received in the head of Kharif season by the revenue department in the last two years.

An amount Rs98.280 million has been allocated for school management committees to execute different works whereas Rs13.631 million will be spent on distribution of free books and scholarships will be given to students of rural and urban areas. School teachers will be given computer training at Rs4 million and pre-KG classes will be started in government schools.

The district Nazim said the agriculture department had not been completely devolved under the devolution plan and added that 90 per cent target of rice and wheat had been achieved.

He said Rs1.8 million had been allocated for soil testing, pavilion and other machinery of the Niaz Stadium.

He said out of Rs92 million of sugar cess fund, Rs36 million had been earmarked for 19 ongoing schemes and Rs56 million would be spent in four talukas where sugar mills were located. He added that Rs33 million of district council funds were being spent on 25 different schemes.

Nazims of Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando Allahyar talukas called for allocation of funds under sugar cess and development schemes.

The DCO informed the council that 41 schemes worth Rs60.795 million in phase-I, 78 schemes worth Rs146.59 million in phase-II and 124 schemes of Rs173.116 million in phase-III of the KPP had been undertaken.

He said Hyderabad City had got schemes of around Rs109 million thereby denying the claims of Nazims, elected from this taluka, that it had been ignored in terms of development share.

The members complained of neglecting their respective areas and not observing parity in allocations of funds. They said they must be informed about allocations of funds regularly.

The DCO said the local government had clarified that grant of octroi tax could not be given to union councils.

Nazims of Latifabad taluka protested against the supply of filthy water to the area.

The managing director of the Wasa informed them that water supply lines had already outlived their utility and needed immediate replacement.

Convenor Nawab Rashid Ali Khan presided over the session.