PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The NWFP local government and rural development department has opposed the proposed handing over of the affairs of Hayatabad township from Town-III administration to the city development and municipal department (CDMD), sources said.

An official told Dawn here on Wednesday that the department concerned had opposed the move of NWFP Minister for Local Government Sardar Mohammad Idrees to transfer the management of Hayatabad.

The official said that under the Local Government Ordinance 2003, the local government department had no legal powers to intervene in such matters, and it would generate controversies between the city district government and the provincial government.

"The district government is the only authority to delegate powers to other departments for the management of any areas, " informed an official of the local government department.

The official added, the minister had been informed that handing over of the affairs in such a manner would be violative of the NWFP Local Government Ordinance, 2001.

Under the law, the official said, only the city district government had legal powers to hand over the affairs of a particular area to any other body. The minister had announced last week that the affairs of the town would be transferred to the CDMD and directed the department to issue notification in this regard.