RAWALPINDI, Feb 1: About 30 to 40 opposition members of the district assembly staged a walk-out from the session on Friday, saying that they were not being given the respect they deserved and were being treated as beggars.

They said no allocations had been announced for the union councils (UCs) despite repeated requests. The situation, they added, had made their attendance at council’s sessions a futile exercise.

As the protesting members were leaving the council, somebody from the treasury benches taunted them. The remark irked the women councillors who also joined in the protest.

The convener sent a three-member delegation from the treasury benches to pacify the protesting members who returned to the session after about half an hour on arriving at an accord with the treasury benches.

According to the accord, which was announced in the council, the Social Action Programme funds would be reallocated in consultation with UC Nazims, EDOs directed not to misbehave with Nazims and the UCs never by-passed in any matter concerning them in future.

During the course of proceedings on Friday, the Rawalpindi district council demanded an increase in the honorarium being given to union council (UC) Nazims.

The UC Nazims are entitled to an honorarium of Rs3,000 per month which they consider insufficient.

While giving his ruling on the demand for an increase in the honorarium, district Naib Nazim Raja Javed Ikhlas said the UC Nazims were ready to volunteer their services for free rather than accept a paltry sum of Rs3,000.

The members of the district council while debating on the issue of honorarium suggested that it should be increased to at least Rs5,000.

Member Anjum Farooq Piracha while speaking on the issue said the district and Tehsil Nazims were getting much more as compared to their deputies. He called for decreasing the disparity between district and Tehsil Nazims and Naib Nazims.

Meanwhile, the members elected on special seats demanded an honorarium for themselves on a par with that of UC Nazims. Members elected on special seats are presently not entitled to any honorarium.

The other major issue highlighted during the second day’s proceedings was the status of members elected on special seats. “We are neither given development funds nor any honorarium,” a women councillor lamented.

It appeared that special seats had been provided in the councils only as a formality, another councillor said and added, “no special function has been assigned to us.”

Member Mian Imran Hayat, while supporting the motion, said there were several lacunas in the local government system. He demanded of the district government to invite NRB chief Gen Tanvir Naqvi to come and explain the system to the Rawalpindi district council. Mr Ikhlas forwarded the resolution to the NRB for necessary action.

The council also took up the issue of disabled persons. Mr Piracha demanded of the council to order construction of facilities for the disabled in public places. His resolution was sent to the house committee for special people.

Meanwhile, the council continued their criticism of the bureaucracy for the second consecutive day. The council flayed the heads of the district government departments on not being given due attention.