The speaker, Sajjad Khan, had to prorogue the session for November 29 without approving even a single item on the agenda put before the House. Hot words were exchanged between the elected representatives, Tehsil municipal administration (TMA) officials and the assembly members.
The members complained that the TMA officials bypassed them in various matters of their interest.
When the House secretary put before the elected representatives the agenda items which included approval for the 15 contracts the TMA had auctioned out, the members unanimously opposed the move.
They argued that no contract could be awarded without the prior approval of the House. The speaker requested them to approve the agenda, but they refused to do so.
Non-availability of the “rules of business” for the new set- up also created ambiguity and legal void about various matters of the municipal administration. The assembly members and the TMA officials were quoting different clauses of the local government ordinance in support of their arguments, but there was a total confusion as to who was right.
At one time, few pro-administration and anti-bureaucracy members were about to come to blows, but the speaker brought the situation under control. The TMA officials tried to convince the members that due to non-availability of rules of business, the auctions were held according to the previous rules and regulations.
The public representatives, however, opposed their view- point, saying, their legal rights were being infringed upon. They demanded that they be given the powers according to section 67 or the Local Government Ordinance 2001.
They unanimously complained that the TMA officials had maintained status quo, and were running all affairs in the style of the defunct municipal corporation by overlooking the elected representatives in important decisions.
The members also pointed out that the contracts had been awarded on amount much less than that shown in the budget.
The budget, which has been shown as a surplus one is in fact a deficit one, if calculated according to the amount on which the contracts have been auctioned out, a Naib Nazim, Ilyas Khan, said.
He added that the Suzuki terminal had been contracted out for Rs1.3 million only, whereas the revenue from it shown in the budget was Rs4 million. Similarly, he said, lighting tax had been shown to bring Rs10 million, whereas the contract did not exist at all.
Moreover, Rs16 million to accrue from the sale of plots in Khayaban had to be exclusively spent on the development of the area concerned only, whereas previously it was included in the budget.
Many of the members pointed out that Khayaban was already a posh area, hence the amount from plots’s sale should be used for the uplift of underdeveloped localities.
The Tehsil municipal officer, in response, said the amount had been earmarked for Khayaban, whether the members liked it or not.
The members protested against the official’s attitude and asked the speaker that their powers should be clearly defined. The speaker requested the Nazim to ensure that the balance of powers between the public representatives and the TMA officials was maintained.
Except five Naib Nazims, who were included in the auction committee, all the members doubted the transparency of awarding the contracts. In response, the chief officer, Chaudhry Liaquat, told the House that the members would have to incur the loss if they wanted the contracts to be withdrawn. On hearing this, the members stood up and started shouting.
The Naib Nazims and councillors came hard on the TMA officials, specially the TMO, saying no action was taken on their complaint and the applications submitted on behalf of the residents of their respective constituencies. Most of such complaints were regarding bad sanitary conditions. The members said the sanitation department was not entertaining their complaints about cleanliness. Some of them said they had not been provided any sanitary workers in their respective areas.
Other members raised the issue of water shortage, dilapidated roads and streets. They said, despite making repeated complaints to the TMA officials concerned, no action had been taken. They said the residents of their respective constituencies demanded redressal of their civic problems, but the TMA officials were creating hurdles in their way.
Taking notice of these complaints, the speaker directed the TMA officials to ensure reply to the applications of the members within a week.
The assembly will meet again on Thursday to discuss the issues of the elected members’ powers, their offices and the contracts auctioned out.
