The council said that the recovery of taxes should, however, be waived off in those areas badly affected by the water shortage.
Suspending the regular agenda, the session took up an out-of-turn resolution of Azizullah Memon, who claimed that the growers were in deep financial trouble as the crops did not yield the desired results and added that the Tapedars were threatening to put them in lock-ups if taxes were not paid.
Nawab Rashid Ali Khan was presided over the session.
Some members, including Mir Aslam Talpur, Altaf Ghamman, and Ali Nawaz Kutriyo, wondered that when there was even scarcity of drinking water how could growers cultivate their crops.
They said that since agriculture taxes were waived off in Punjab therefore, the growers of Sindh should be given the same relief.
The session condemned the registration of an FIR against Akhund Javed Akhtar, a member of the council.
The chair referred his case to the district Nazim to take it up with the DPO.
At this point of time, several members rose and criticized the District Public Safety Commission saying it was a “Police Safety Commission and not a Public Safety Commission”.
Demanding the suspension of the SHO, Hatri police station, they said that it was the fifth case in a row against the sitting members of the District Council.
Speaking of discrimination against the Nazims of rural area, Ghulam Hussain Magsi said while city Nazims got Rs21,000 for expenses of their union councils, rural Nazims got Rs15,000 against the expenses of Rs18,000 for their union councils.
He opined that perhaps it was being done to keep their counterparts quiet so that they should not raise their voice.
The Nazims reacted sharply to his remarks. Yousuf Qureshi said that the union councils of the city got their share from funds in lieu of the octroi tax abolished by the federal government.
He said nobody would object if the rural Nazims were given Rs50,000 from the export tax.
Dr Ayaz Arain and Q. Hakim said that they were opposed to discrimination of rural and urban Nazims and would work together.
When Shafqat Soho told the session that the DCO personally told him, in response to his complaint of this distinction, that the amount was being given to the city Nazims to keep them silent.
The session condemned the purported remark of the DCO.
Ali Nawaz Kutriyo pointed out that without seeking his approval an eight-inch sewerage line was being laid in the area though he had recommended an 18-inch line, and added that civic bodies were hell-bent on destroying the district.
The council adopted Wahida Feroze’s resolution about the appointment of subject specialists in English, mathematics, and chemistry in the Girls Higher Secondary School, Tando Allahyar.
She said other teachers also did not discharge their duties properly, and added that such conditions were destroying the future of students given the fact that annual examinations were only three months away.
She demanded the appointment of subject specialists and action against the teachers responsible for spoiling the academic environment.