KARACHI, Dec 24: Members of the Karachi City Council discussed on Tuesday the procedure for financial allocation for development works of Rs5 million to each of the UC Nazims and Rs500,000 to each of the other members, including labour, minorities and women councillors.

Two proposals were presented in the house. Siddique Rathore presented the first proposal which said that keeping in view the allocations in the current budget Rs3.5m be given to each UC Nazim, and Rs500,000 each to the other members for development works in their areas. The remaining amount of Rs1.5m be released after the first adjustment which was expected the next month.

Razzaq Siddique of Lyari Town presented the second proposal which called for immediate release of Rs3.5m for each of the UC Nazims and Rs500,000 for each of the other members of the City Council.

Besides, the resolution said, guidance regarding the procedure to spend the amount should also be formulated by the city government.

The Council debated the two resolutions for more than one hour. In the debate Muslim Pervaiz, Siddique Rathore, Razzaq Siddique, Razzaq Sanghani and women councillors Mangla Sharma and Shamim Mumtaz Wasi participated.

They were of conflicting views on the procedure in which the amount was to be distributed/ released and the formation of monitoring committees to oversee the projects to be constructed from this amount.

Siddique Rathore, Shamim Mumtaz Wasi and other members expressed gratitude to the City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, for accepting their demand for releasing this amount and informed in detail of their meeting with the City Nazim on Dec 18.

Muslim Pervaiz said since there were a number of unclear issues in the resolutions, the Nazim Karachi should be consulted before presenting this proposal in the house, so it should be put off to Dec 26. He further suggested that the Nazim Karachi be called to the council to clear any ambiguity in this regard.

His speech angered the members who had met Naimatullah Khan on Dec 18, and they criticized Muslim Pervaiz saying his utterances meant that they were irresponsible or they could not tell the truth.

Razzaq Sanghani said the proposals/resolutions should not be delayed.

After a lengthy discussion, the convener of the house, Tariq Hasan, asked the members that all those in favour of the resolution/proposal presented by Siddique Rathore should move towards the left side and those supporting the proposal of Razzaq Siddique should move towards the right.

However, the mover of the second resolution, Razzaq Siddique, and its seconder, Shamim Mumtaz Wasi, moved towards the left side, and began asking other members to support the resolution moved by Siddique Rathore.

The resolution moved by Siddique Rathore was approved by a narrow margin: 61 votes for and 59 against.

Earlier, the house discussed works completed under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme in various Towns.

Uproar and protest were witnessed during the council meeting of Bin Qasim Town when council members did not allow the Town administration to invite tenders for development projects, some of which had already been completed and others are under way.

Members maintained that the Town administration had begun development projects at the time of the October general elections despite a ban imposed by the federal government on development works. — PPI