MULTAN, June 11: Women councillors have demanded a meaningful role in the decision-making process and the powers proportionate to their 35 per cent representation.

This was a unanimous demand by a gathering of 200 women councillors organized by an NGO — the Pattan Development Organization — on Tuesday in order to impart them training about their rights and duties. Multan district Naib Nazim Malik Amer Dogar was the chief guest.

Participants in the moot were of the view that women councillors would have to unite on a platform to get realized their presence to their male colleagues and the local body heads. Most of them complained that their opinion had not been sought while finalizing development schemes and proposals for the next budget.

They also demanded TA-DA allowances and other remunerations so that they could perform their duties amicably. They said the government had given womenfolk a 33 per cent representation in local bodies but the spirit of the decision was being denied practically on all the decision-making fora.

Amer Dogar said the role of councillors especially women councillors had to be clearly defined in the Local Bodies Ordinance. He said the district government had issued a circular to all the union council Nazimeen to involve women councillors in the decision-making process especially while finalizing uplift schemes.

He said the Multan district government was the first in the province to allocate Rs10 million for the welfare of womenfolk. He said work on the establishment of three industrial homes for women in Multan would be launched soon. — Correspondent