KARACHI, Jan 28: Some members of the City Council on Tuesday expressed concern over the conditions laid down by the city government for utilizing funds by the union councils.

They criticized the city government for making the UC Nazims “subservient” to even officials, including sub-engineers, accountants or nominees of the city government, while carrying out development works.

They regretted that funds had been released after a lapse of seven months and that the UC Nazims had not been given a free hand.

Baldia Town’s union council Nazim Mohammad Yakub Khan said that the city government was trying to degrade the UC Nazims.

He said that the city government’s decision of nominating town Nazims as chairmen of certain committees amounts to insult of the House because they were not even members of the city council.

Another member Riaz Tabbasum said it was astonishing that the UCs had been given meagre funds (Rs 500,000) for carrying out development works, with a number of ‘uncalled for’ checks and balances, whereas over Rs 10 million were being spent for providing sound system at the city council hall.

The Nazim of union council of Landhi Town Administration, Javaid Azim, said although it was being claimed that an unprecedented number of development projects had been undertaken during the last 16 months, the residents of Landhi UC-2 and other UCs had been facing numerous problems.

Siddique Rathore, a member of a house committee apprised the members about the outcome of his meeting with the chief minister.

Mr Rathore said that the CM rang up the IGP and instructed him to hold an independent inquiry into the killing of two MQM activists, and that it be ensure that innocent persons are released and real culprits are nabbed forthwith.

The House committee, which met the CM, was headed by city Naib Nazim, Tariq Hassan and its members included City council’s senior presiding officer, Muslim Pervaiz, Jaffer-ul-Hassan, Khalid Khan advocate and Siddique Rathore.