HYDERABAD, Sept 4: The Nazims of the City, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas are in a fix due to the inordinate delay in the release of funds of the Annual Development Programme.

It was learnt that the Nazims were planning to resort to protest for the release of the funds.

The Hyderabad district government had allocated schemes of Rs3.7 million to each union council of the city.

District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman told this correspondent on Thursday that he would ask the Sindh government to enhance the share of block allocation of the district government or release the

ADP funds in the shape of a grant if it could not re-validate the funds.

He said he had called a session of the district council for Sept 12 to discuss the issue.

It was further learnt that funds under other heads, including the Khushhal Pakistan Programme, sugar cess and transition funds, had also yet to be released by the finance department.

A Nazim said they were considering to resume their protest for the release of the funds but the final decision would be taken after the meeting of the district council and discussion of the district Nazim in Karachi with Sindh government officials.

He said the Sindh government had to release Rs226 million of the ADP and not Rs151 million.

He said several development schemes were lying incomplete.

He said the delay in the release of the amount for development schemes had forced the people to take to the streets.

Another Nazim said unnecessary hurdles in releasing the funds by the finance ministry were putting union council Nazims in trouble as they had to face their electorates.

Earlier, when union council representatives resorted to token hunger strike outside the local press club, the ADP fund of Rs151 million was released by the Sindh finance department. But since the amount was released just a few days before the end of the fiscal year, only Rs11 million could be utilized on development schemes of roads and sewerage and drainage systems. The remaining works remained pending which complicated the situation in Hyderabad, particularly in different areas of Latifabad, during monsoon.

The Sindh government had assured the district Nazim of re-validation of the funds. But finance department sources said the funds could not be re-validated after the same lapsed.

FIRING: Two motorcyclists fired on a police picket in Nasim Nagar area of Qasimabad when they were signalled to stop on Tuesday night.

The police chased after the outlaws but could not catch them.

BOR: The Sindh Board of Revenue senior member has notified for the information of land owners that the last date for filing agriculture income tax return for 2002-2003 has been fixed at Sept 30.

He said land owners whose net agricultural income during 2002-2003 exceeded Rs80,000 should file the AIT return.