RAWALPINDI, Oct 29: District Council session broke down amid protests by the members over a contract for purchase of medicines and had to be adjourned till Tuesday when the council will meet again and discuss the matter afresh.

The district council members were demanding cancellation of a yet to be awarded contract accusing the health department officials of corruption, harbouring malafide intentions and bypassing the elected representatives in the purchase of medicines worth Rs250 million for Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals, Rural Health Centres, Basic Health Units and Blood Transfusion Centres.

The convener of the session District Naib Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas offered to suspend further developments in the contract till all outstanding issues were resolved, but the members did not feel content with the offer and were adamant that the contract should be cancelled outrightly.

Despite repeated assurances by the health officials that so far only bids have been called and that no one has yet been awarded the contract the members refused to budge and stuck to their point of view that the deal is shady.

The members contended that the committee appointed to initiate the tender process was illegal and that the district council was the proper authority to nominate such a body.

The health department officials and the convener informed the council that the committee has been constituted on the instructions of the provincial government and has proper representation of the district government.

However, despite all these clarifications the protesting members appeared unmoved and at one stage threatened to stage a walk out. The members were not even ready to postpone the matter for a day, but Mr Ikhlas using his powers as convener adjourned the session.

The council would now meet on Tuesday morning at 11am, when the health department would present its report on the matter, which would be debated afresh. Top officials of the district government met on Monday evening to devise a strategy for the Tuesday meeting and according to sources they have received instructions from concerned quarters not to retract as nothing wrong has been done.

The proposal to give some more representation to the district council members was also turned down, sources informed.

Since none of the parties is expected to show any leniency the session is expected to be stormy. However, some of the protesting members have assured the administration that they would no longer be insisting on the scrapping of the contract a hope has arisen that the deadlock might be resolved, sources disclosed.

The health officials have been directed to inform the council that no purchase has been made and the committee has been formed to complete all procedural requirements so that by the time the district budget is approved they can move ahead with purchasing the medicines without wastage of any further time.

Earlier in the session, the council approved the composition of various committees of the council to look after the working for district government departments. The advisory committee consisting of district Nazim, Tehsil Nazims and DCO was presented before the council for approval by the Council Officer. The advisory committee would look after the coordination of developmental activities and would resolve the disputes between tehsils.

Mr Ikhlas while giving a ruling on a matter raised by various members said Public Health Engineering department (PHED) was the most corrupt department and directed the Tehsil Nazim and tehsil municipal officer to hold an inquiry against the officials of the department and present a report to the district council during its next session.

Responding to similar complaints by several members over non- provision of office, staff and furniture and lack of authority, the naib nazim convened a meeting of the members of district council at the nazim’s office on November 6 to discuss the issue. In another ruling the convener directed the EDO (Education) to interact with provincial secretary education for lifting of ban on hiring of teachers for government schools. Over 2000 vacancies of teachers exist in government schools and the district council had in its past session passed a resolution demanding of the provincial government to lift ban for hiring of teachers.

The council was informed that the provincial education department has so far not responded to their request. The council at the beginning of the session through a unanimous resolution denounced the Bahawalpur Church carnage and demanded of the government to bring all culprits to justice. A minute’s silence was observed in remembrance of those killed in the terrorist attack on the Church.