PESHAWAR, Pakistan: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (LG&RD) Inayatullah Khan has said that the provincial government has allocated a development fund of Rs 42.4 billion for local governments while another huge amount of Rs 102 billion will be spent on salaries and other non-developmental heads.
Speaking in the guest-hour programme under the auspices of Peshawar Press Club (PPC), here Thursday he said that the release of funds allocated in this regard has been started after which the district government swill prepare their budgets to start utilization.
He said that powers have been transferred to local governments and a meeting of the Local Government Commission will be convened on October 27 or 28 and a meeting of the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) will also be called next week to finalize formula for funds distribution.
To a question about the demands of granting powers to local governments, the senior minister claimed that the provincial government has transferred powers to grassroot level in real sense and instead of demanding more powers their representatives should utilize the already delegated powers in the service of the people. He was confident that the local government system will put the country on the path of development and strengthen democracy.
Regarding village councils, he said that all powers of former union councils have been delegated to them and an amount of Rs 2 million has been allocated for development schemes in a village of 2000 population and in increase of 1000 population, the fund will also be increased by Rs 0.5 million.
He said that a fund of Rs.13 billion has been allocated for village councils while the office of each such council will have its secretary, naib qasid and an amount of Rs 0.5 million for current expenditure.
He said that the case of allowances for district, town, village and neighbourhood nazims has been sent to Finance Department and was confident about the approval of the fund in that regard.
Source: APP
