VEHARI, Oct 6: Vehari has become the first district in the country where the village council’s election process has kicked off in Peeranwala union council No 14, Chak 28/WB.

The first village council election, completed under the supervision of Vehari TMA, was held with the cooperation of the Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment (DTCE).

TMO Muhammad Saleem, who acted as the returning officer, said the total registered voters in the village were 1,000, while about half of them cast their votes.

According to results, Adil Husain Rashid was elected as VC chairman. He got 366 votes out of 484. While other 10 elected members were: Muhammad Bashir, Iqbal Shah, Riaz, Nazir, Muhammad Arshad, Muhammad Sher, Muhammad Aslam and Muhammad Husain. Bashiran Bibi was elected on the woman seat and Abdul Latif on the farmer seat.

DTCE manager (field operations) Waseem Ashraf said that elections would be completed in eight village councils of UC No 14 by Oct 17. The second VC election would be held on Saturday (today) at Chak 75/WB.

He said the election process was initiated according to the Local Government Ordinance 2001.

The DTCE, he said, was educating the people to participate in VC elections and represent their village in union council and tehsil council level.

Throughout the province, he said that one union council comprised maximum 13 villages and each village would elect one VC and each union council eight to 13 VCs.

Mr Ashraf said the DTCE was promoting Citizen Community Boards so that the common man could be empowered through the devolution process.