HARIPUR, Jan 13: The District Haripur Nazim Dr Raja Aamir Zaman said here on Sunday that the district government system, introduced by the military government, had proved to be most effective in addressing the problems of the common people.

He opposed any prospective changes in the local bodies system by the provincial government. He was talking to Dawn at his residence.

Referring to the adjournment motion tabled in the NWFP assembly pertaining to the proposed reforms and restructuring of the district government system the other day, Dr Zaman said that the local bodies system was implemented through a presidential ordinance, which could not be changed.

“Suggestions for further improvement in the system are welcome but changes for the sake of curtailment of powers of district government would not be allowed,” he added.

Dr Zaman made it clear that although the district governments were supposed to obey the provincial chief executive, any move aimed at destabilizing this system would be unacceptable.

He said that when the district governments were functioning in other three provinces, the proposal to do away with this system in the NWFP was unjustified.

Discussing the salient features of the new LG system the District Nazim, said during the short period of 18 months of their coming into existence the district governments had resolved as much problems of the people as the previous governments failed to do in over 50 years.

He urged the elected councilors and Nazimeen to get united against any such move and endeavour hard for making the system a success.

He attached the very survival of the local government system to the fulfilment of expectation of people who had remained neglected by the political governments for the last many years.

When his attention was drawn to the complaints of women councilors regarding his lopsided attitude in the allocation of funds to the schemes presented by them he emphatically said that these members must recommend only women-oriented schemes rather than development schemes because such type of schemes are received through Ucs where women were fully represented.

However, he announced that the district government, had decided to spend 50 per cent of the funds receivable under the Khushal Pakistan Programme, KPP, with the consultation of members who made it to the house on special seats.

To a another question the Nazim said that the funds amounting to Rs600,000, which were allocated for the repair work of Chappar Road would not be allowed to be transferred to any other sub-division.