RAWALPINDI, Nov 22: After the restoration of democracy, the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) should come up with solid and long-term policies to save the local government system from extinction.

This was demanded by a large number of women councillors from all the Tehsils of Rawalpindi district at a meeting organized by an NGO here on Friday.

The NRB director-general, district Nazim, Raja Tariq Kiani, and Naib Nazim, Raja Javid Akhlaque, were also present.

The women councillors asked the director-general to define their role after the election of MPAs and MNAs from their constituencies.

They complained that right from the start of local government system, women representatives were the victim of male chauvinism and had not been given any powers practically.

The women councillors complained to the DG for not providing them monthly stipend of Rs3,000 each, as well as the TA/DA for arranging meetings with their co-workers to discuss and address the problems in their constituencies.

Sarkar Abbasi criticized the NRB for not doing its home work before establishing the development committees, which according to her, did not have any policy-making or implementing authorities.

Almost all the councillors criticized the official, when he said no support from the provincial government would be given to the district government for solving the financial problems of the women representatives.

Responding to a comment made by the DG, in which he said the lady councillors could perform their job without getting the stipend if they were honest, a lady councillor from Kotli Sattian asked him whether the president, prime minister and other government officials did not receive the benefits.

A woman councillor from Kalar Saeedan asked the DG to brief about the benefit of the Rule of Business Ordinance, on which the DG made no comment.

The councillors also criticized the district Nazim when he made high claims that he had solved many problems, including provision potable water and basic health facilities.

A woman councillor from Kahuta asked the Nazim whether he knew anything about the problems faced by the people of her area, who were drinking contaminated water for the last two months.

Another councillor from Kotli Sattian asked the Nazim whether he had fulfilled his promise regarding installation of a tube- well in her constituency.