PESHAWAR: (APP) Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak has said that a high powered committee was constituted to review the legal framework and operational arrangements of local government.
The Chief Minister said talking to a press conference here at CM house on Saturday that the committee held a number of consultative meetings with Nazimeen, District Governments and Tehsil Municipal Administrations on the subject and prepared recommendations for consideration of the provincial government.
KP Chief Minister said that committee comprised of Senior Minister, local government Inayatullah Khan, Senior Minister, Irrigation, Sikanadr Sherpao, senior Minister, Health Shahram Tarakai on the improvement in the legal framework and operational arrangements of local government which held several meeting with Nazimeen, District Governments and Tehsil Municipal Administrations on the subject and prepared recommendations for consideration of the provincial government.
He said that the provincial government had approved improvement in the legal framework and operational arrangements of local government and increase the power of district and tehsil nazims.
He said that KP government had allocated 30 percent funds to local government.
Last year due to lack of experiences they have not spent all funds but these funds were not wasted and they diverted it to ongoing schemes in districts level. This year they have the capacity to provide 100 percent funds to local government.
The CM said that said that this year the total share for local government was Rs 33 billion and they would release it in four phases.
The share would be based on resources and if they get 100 percent they would release 100 percent and if they get 80 percent from resources they would share 80 percent with local government.
He denied the reports that to lapse of funds every year.
He said that in first year they had spent almost funds while next year they had spent 80 percent and last year they had spent 85 percent of funds.
This year he hoped that they would spend 100 percent if they get all funds on time.
The CM said that the committee in the light of this discussion the participants proposed the share percentages for priority areas in 20 percent education, 10 percent for health, 15 percent for agricultural, women development and youth/sports and 55 percent would discretion fund for district government.
On the shortage of necessary staff the Nazim, District Government will approach the Administrative Department (Education and Health), to immediately make up the deficiency on temporary basis.
It was further decided to replace the words Discretion of "District Government" by Discretion of "District Council".
However, initially the priority areas had given in planning and development guidelines to districts government were 20 percent for education, 10 percent for health, 20 percent for roads, 10 percent of DWSS, 5 percent for women development, 5 percent for youth/sports and 25 percent was discretion fund for district government.
Similarly, initially tehsil council has the power to utilized 30 percent for DWSS, 20 percent for municipal services, 10 percent for roads, 10 percent for sports/youth and women and 30 percent was discretion of tehsil council.
The CM said that with the recommendations of committee they have bring changes and now the funds for DWSS on tehsil level will 25 percent, 20 percent for municipal services, 5 percent for beautification projects and 50 percent would be dissertation of tehsil council.
Chief Minister also said that they have made amendments in in Chairmanship of District Development Committee (DDC) and Tehsil Development Committee (TDC) given in P&D Guidelines.
He said that first the Nazim of District Government has been declared as the Chief Executive of the District under Section 11 (2) of LGA-2013.