ABBOTTABAD, Feb 1: A tussle between the district council (DC) and municipal committee (MC) has surfaced on who should have control over certain areas. It has been reported that officials of the municipal committee are trying to bring into its jurisdiction areas which were previously administered by the district council. It has been learnt that MC authorities are in an effort to expand MC’s jurisdiction to Shiekhul Bandi union council which was part of the now defunct town committee of Nwansher.
The deputy commissioner Abbottabad following the directives of the Provincial Delimitation Authority of the Local Government and Rural Development Department (LG&RDD) had directed the chief officers of the MCs of Abbottabad and Havelian to submit their proposals on jurisdiction matters.
The MC Abbottabad chief officer submitted that the municipal committee intended to take control of the affairs of the entire Nwansher town committee, which also includes Shiekhul Bandi village, as it (the town committee) carried out development works with the funds of MC Abbottabad before its abolition.
However, the district council officials argued that inclusion of Shiekhul Bandi area in MC Abbottabad would cause the DC financial loss on account of receipts from attestation of mutations and registration deeds.
Meanwhile, residents of Shiekhul Bandi and Nwansher have also made it clear that they don’t want to be part of the MC Abbottabad as they will be forced to pay extra taxes but will not get any municipal services accordingly.
INCOME TAX NOTICES: Regional income tax office Abbottabad has started issuing notices to MNAs, MPAs and probable candidates from Hazara Division for next elections to match their original incomes with their annual income tax and wealth tax returns filed in 2012.
An insider told Dawn additional commissioner income tax has collected data from excise and revenue departments, cantonment board, municipal committee and banks to see whether or not the data provided by the lawmakers and intending election candidates matched with their actual income.
The source, however, said in most cases less wealth had been declared by the income tax and wealth tax return filers.