HARIPUR, Dec 28: Legislators should be restricted to their constitutional role of law making and all the development funds should be spent through district governments.

This was the crux of a two-day seminar on economic uplift of workers through the elected local bodies’ representatives. The event was jointly organised by Sungi and PILER here on Friday.

Speakers on the occasion underlined salient features of the district government system, its role and responsibilities, working relationship between the elected MNAs and MPAs in bringing about socio-economic changes in the life of the masses.

They stressed that funds spending institutions must be strengthened with the help of constitutional cover; district governments functioning must be monitored closely for avoiding misuse of money; and implementation of labour laws in the Hattar Industrial Estate must be ensured.

A councillor, Eidun Nisa, opposed the decision of the federal government of disbursing Rs10 millions to each legislator. When under the newly-implemented district government system union, tehsil and district councils had been put in place with powers to undertake development schemes, the idea to oblige the MNAs and MPAs seemed contradictory to the very spirit of the new system, which, she said, was at an infancy stage.

“These representatives (MPs) should be confined to their constitutional job of legislation rather than constructing streets,” she maintained.

She also demanded of the new assemblies for open heartedly supporting and giving constitutional cover to the district government system. For ensuring community’s representation in decisions making about uplift schemes, she stressed the need of formation of community-citizen boards without further delay.

Another councillor, Gul Ambrin, while discussing the hindrances in the smooth running of the government system, pointed out that women members were being subjected to discrimination and deprived of funds.

She expressed her dissatisfaction over the attitude of men counterparts towards women councillors. Gul Ambrin demanded abolition of the post of secretary local government for the smooth running of this system.

Lala Ehsan Qureshi and Mian Zahoor-ul-Haq of the Hazara Labour Federation said that owing to violation of labour laws by the industrialists of the Hattar Industrial Estate (HIE), the living condition of factory workers was pitiable.

They pointed out that under the minimum wages laws, a worker was supposed to be paid a sum of Rs2,500, along with weekly and pubic holidays, besides EOBI and social security cover.

But, they lamented, the workers of the estate were neither issued appointment letters at the time of hiring, nor paid under the prescribed rules.

Women workers were also subjected to harassment in various ways at workplaces, besides paying them less than the fixed salary and compelling them to overwork.

Speaking on the occasion, MNA Omar Ayub Khan, the lone parliamentarian from Haripur district, termed the district government system against the ground realities.

He said the Local Government Ordinance 2001, was a result of shortsightedness of Gen Tanveer Naqvi, who, Omar said, had forgotten the fact that the desired coordination between provincial and district governments could never be brought about.

The MNA also criticized the role of bureaucracy and said it was still doing what it had been doing since the inception of Pakistan.