PESHAWAR, April 28: Woman members of the NWFP assembly standing committees have expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of these bodies, saying that they were wasting time and public money.

The 28 standing committees were formed in May 2003 under the Provincial Assembly of NWFP Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules, 1988.

None of them had woman as its chairperson and one of them, committee on law reforms and control on subordinate legislation, women had not been given representation, informed a woman lawmaker.

Some committee heads had called very few meetings since their formation, some members said. "Matters referred to these committees by the house are seldom taken up for discussion as several meetings of some committees yielded zero results," said Farah Aqil Shah, member of the committee on schools and literacy department.

"The expenditures including allowances given to the members of the house (also members of the standing committees) during 2003-04 are about Rs80 million," official sources said.

"Generally when committee meetings are called, long discussions take place and the matter concerned is put off for next sitting. It seems as if the meetings are convened to avail allowances," Said Farah Aqil Shah.

Each member of these committees is paid Rs2,200 per day during the meetings, including three days before and three days after the session. "Many matters can be decided in one sitting, but they are delayed till next meeting and the reason is obvious," an official source said.

"Committees' members belonging to the opposition are not taken into confidence at the meetings. The chairman of our body is in Kohistan and it has been four months now that the meeting of our committee was called," Said Nighat Yasmin Orakzai of the PML-Q, member of the committee on home and tribal affairs department. She has also been included in the body on Zakat, Usher, social welfare and women development department.

Ms Yasmin described the performance of these committees as nil. But Zubaida Khatoon, an lawmaker of the MMA, said the committees were performing quite well. "I am member of the committee on schools and literacy department which is the most efficient one and have discussed many matters referred to it and submitted report to the house on the issues concerned," she said.