HYDERABAD, Nov 14: The Hyderabad district Nazim has said he had told the Sindh government that Hyderabad district council members resented having no say in the preparation of the district council budget.

District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman was responding to queries of district council members, following his annual address, here on Thursday.

He said once the matter of the provincial and district financial awards was settled, he would discuss preparation of the budget by the district council, at the council.

He said in absence of strong union councils, the local government system would not work.

Commenting on the role of the government officials, related to the district government, the Nazim said he himself did not know whereabouts of the EDO, law, adding the matter would have to be taken up with the provincial government.

He asked the district council members to work out a formula about distribution of development schemes and funds among the Nazims and the minority, women and labour councillors.

He said the district government would not impose any new tax, therefore, no such proposal was presented before the council.

The members expressed disappointment over the working of different departments, given under the control of the district government, and said the response of departments had never been positive.

Initiating the debate on the annual address of the district Nazim, Yousuf Qureshi said the district council failed to hold its at least 12 sessions and complete 50 working days, which was required under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance.

He said the government departments did not send any official business to the council, which reflected their non-seriousness over the devolution plan.

He said the district Nazim did not inspect any taluka or union council and submit his report, which was also necessary under the SLGO. Similarly, he added, under section 29(C) of the SLGO, the DCO had to submit a report on working of the monitoring committee, and under section 29(d), the DCO had to take initiatives on the reports of the committees, but it also was not done.

Qureshi said in the last 16 months, no proposal was given to the district council for imposition of new taxes, and asked whether the district government would keep working on government grants.

He said not a single proposal for long or short-term planning was floated in the council and except for the HDA, the scheme of any other department was not presented in the council.

About finance and planning, he said, details were not made available in the annual report as to where the funds were utilized.

Rana Mehmood Ali Khan regretted non-allocation of funds for the members of reserved seats and added they had no powers in the system.

Earlier, the district Nazim expressed dismay over the conduct of some members, saying walkout and protest in the council sessions had become order of the day.