HYDERABAD, April 7: The Hyderabad District Council on Monday gave approval to re-appropriation of Rs87.565 million funds amidst protest by PPP-backed Awam Dost Panel council members who staged a walkout from the session while rejecting the re-appropriation.

Office of Executive District Officer (EDO) finance and planning sought re-appropriation of funds for different heads. Details of Rs69.731 million of ADP and Rs17.834 million current volume (non-salary component) were tabled before the house for re-appropriation.

When the item was tabled, ADP’s Yamin Soomro raised objection that re-appropriation of funds mentioned in documents pertained to his UC-3 also and he was not taken on board for it and sought some clarification. The chair told him that he should submit his questions to be sent to EDO finance for answers.

Soomro wanted to know as to where funds would be utilised after withdrawal from one head. He said he had no objection over re-appropriation but UC nazims should have been consulted too and had it been happened such situation would not have arisen. “Still, there are some streets that needed completion in my UC and I feel embarrassed before my constituents who would put queries to me about incomplete works”, he contended.

Q.Mohammad Hakim, the chairman district council’s finance committee, defended re-appropriation of funds saying it were in accordance with budget rules and funds were being diverted to those schemes which were 90 per cent complete. “On-going schemes will not be affected at all because they would get their required allocation of funds in next budget”, he remarked.

Mehboob Abro, who joined PPP last year, termed it jugglery of words and injustice with areas of Qasimabad taluka. He said that close to Rs10 million, allocated in current fiscal year by district government, were being re-appropriated without utilisation. He said that Sheedi Goth road was in tatters but it had not been carpeted and its funds were being diverted. He called for formation of a committee which should look into this re-appropriation and then it should be cleared.

Abbas Khan raised question of Shah Abdul Latif Library saying the scheme’s amount was to be revised but it had not been done so far. He supported contention of other members that they should be taken into confidence in such matters.

ADP’s Abdullah Shoro and Shafqat Shah, while referring to PPP-MQM reconciliation and Asif Zardari’s visit to MQM’s headquarters, said that affairs should be run accordingly at district level. They complained that schemes of Rs2 million given to each UC remained incomplete.

They said that budget making process would begin soon and nazims should be consulted also adding that tenders of Rs2 million schemes were floated but then no one heard of it. They stated that re-appropriation was being sought by officers without considering the views of nazims.

Rashid Khan, however, urged the chair that if any member has doubts then he should table his resolution, otherwise, the matter has been debated at length. He said in current re-appropriation Rs13.5 million of taluka city were also being diverted from one head to other because it was needed. He said that members’ grievances, if any, could be redressed.

Dr.Arif Razmi requested those opposing re-appropriation not to treat everything a negative manner. “Developments works are for everyone and not for believers of any particular sect or political ideology”, he said. He asked the chair to distribute details of works that are executed by district government so that everyone should know quantum of work done in each area. He offered to discuss every issue mutually in the house if any member has a point but everything should not be politicised.

Convener Zafar Ali Rajput asked members to table their resolution and give vent to their feelings against any development but he could not allow a question answer session between them and officers. The council gave approval to re-appropriation amidst protest by ADP-backed members, who tore off copies of documents.