HYDERABAD, May 31: The first introductory meeting between the conveners of various in-house committees of district council and executive district officers of various departments was held here at Shahbaz Hall on Thursday.

The Zila Nazim of Hyderabad, Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman chaired the meeting which was also attended by the DCO Hyderabad, Mir Hussain Ali and other concerned officials.

Speaking at the meeting, the Zila Nazim proposed that such meetings should be held by each of the conveners within the next 10 days. He stressed the need for close liaison between the conveners and EDOs to resolve problems.

The Zila Nazim directed the DCO to nominate a coordination officer for better liaison.

Referring to the problems raised during the meeting, the Zila Nazim informed the conveners that as per the government’s directives no money would be released as octroi grant to any union council.

He said that a sum of Rs2,000 per month would be given to the council as rent for its office till the arrangement of a permanent office. Plans, he added, were afoot on priority basis for the construction of buildings/offices for the purpose.

On the conveners’ complaints that zakat was not being distributed among the really deserving people, the Zila Nazim directed the incharge of Pakistan Baitul Maal to send the lists of applicants to the Nazims of every union council for scrutiny and verification.

He told the EDO (education) to inform the concerned officials that henceforth the Nazim of union council would attest all the applications for scholarship.

The Zila Nazim directed the EDO (health) to ensure that in the coming financial year, funds were made available for the Kohshar Government Hospital.

The DCO, Mir Hussain Ali, informed the participants of the meeting that the provincial minister for local governments was due in the city within a week.

He said that under the new system, the DDO Administration in DCO office would now issue arms licences. He also informed the meeting that the MD of WASA had been transferred.

Speaking on the occasion, the EDO (education) said that text books sets, worth Rs125,000 had been distributed amongst poor students in the eight talukas of the district.