LG members in KP protest non-release of funds

PESHAWAR: The local government representatives on Monday staged protests against the provincial government in different parts of the province for not transferring powers and funds.

Mayor Capital Metropolitan Government, Peshawar, Zubair Ali through a statement said that the government had failed to transfer powers to the local government a year after the election.

Zubair Ali said that the local government elections were held on December 19, 2021 and the second year of the local representatives started in their offices. He said that mayors, tehsil chairmen, neighbourhood councils, village councils, women, youth and minority representatives were not transferring funds and authority and were deprived of the opportunity to serve their localities.

He said that these elected representatives were facing the wrath of the government for not being from the ruling party. The government was punishing the people for not electing the candidates of the ruling party and was creating hurdles in the devolution of powers, he said, adding the masses' problems were not the priority of the government.

He added that the mayors were elected on the direct vote but the government introduced changes in the act which proved its dishonesty and political victimization. The ruling party leaders would not be able to ask for votes from the masses if they failed to reverse the undemocratic amendments in the act that had deprived their elected representatives to resolve their problem, he added.

The mayor said that he had contacted the chief minister on several occasions urging him to respect the masses vote but no action had been taken to this effect. He expressed the hope that the government would take steps to strengthen democratic values and would transfer powers to the local governments.

In Haripur, the chairmen of different village and neighbourhood councils of the district on Monday observed ‘black day.’

Led by Tehsil Chairman Samiullah Khan, the chairmen of the village and neighborhood councils of the district and members of tehsil council on special seats took out a rally from the TMA office.

Chanting slogans in favour of their demands, the protesters reached outside the office of deputy commissioner chanting slogans in support of their demands. The protesters submiited their charter of demands with Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Fawad who forwarded it to the provincial government.

Speaking on this occasion, the Tehsil Chairm Samiullah Khan said that one year had passed after the election but the PTI's government had not released funds to the. He said that a village council was entitled to be disbursed Rs1.5 to Rs1.8 million a year but during the whole years only Rs98000 were released to a village council which has virtually brought the local government system to standstill.

Our correspondent adds from Jamrud: the Local government representatives staged a protest against the lack of funds and observed December 19 as black day. On the occasion, Tehsil Chairman Alhaj Said Nawab Afridi said that a year had passed since the local government elections, but the elected representatives had not received funds or offices.

“The PTI provincial government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a failed government. The provincial government is oppressing the people by not giving funds to local government representatives,” he added. He said those raising slogans of justice had strangled justice themselves and made a mockery of the public mandate.

The provincial government is making the local government system a failure to hide its own failure, he said. “People are disgusted with the local government system because of the PTI government. The dissolution of the assemblies by the PTI would be a blessing for the people. It will happen and people will get rid of a failed government and party,” he said. He said the LG representatives’ struggle would continue till they got their rights.

In Landikotal, the local government representatives also staged protest demonstrations and observed December 19 as black day. A large number of village and neighbourhood council members and tehsil chairman staged protest at Landikotal administration offices. Holding black flags and chanting slogans against the provincial government, they marched in the area.