LAHORE: About 100 vice chairmen and councillors of union councils from 36 districts of Punjab on Wednesday demanded that the PML-N government give them a fair share in the distribution of funds and powers.
The vice chairmen demanded that they should also be authorised to sign cheques for development funds and given a say in administrative and political affairs of the union councils.
Lahore Vice Chairmen Dr Sabtain Ali and Muhammad Rizwan Butt Jamati have formed an alliance, the “Vice Chairmen Ittehad Group” and gathered representatives from every district of Punjab to press the PML-N government for their demands. According to them, currently, the chairman of every union council enjoys all perks and privileges while they do not have any power or say in the administrative and financial affairs of union councils.
“Each union council chairman has been given Rs2.5 million for development projects which they utilise without consulting their deputies. A chairman is also given Rs3,00,000 monthly which he uses for his personal purposes,” they alleged.
They said that if the government wants to run the affairs of union councils through a one-man show i.e the chairman, it should abolish the posts of vice chairman and councillors.
“The Punjab government should amend the law to give us powers,” said Dr Sabtain and Muhammad Rizwan while addressing a press conference at the Lahore Press Club.
They have given the deadline of December 16 to the government to amend the law and give them a share in powers. They also said they would protest and stage a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly on December 18 if their demands were not met. They said they also have the option of en masse resignations if the government does not fulfil its promise of empowering vice chairmen.
They said that the PML-N government, in giving all financial powers to the chairmen are violating the Local Government Ordinance 2013; a chairman does not need any approval related to expenses like the payment of salaries, honoraria and utility bills from vice-chairmen which is an injustice because both of them were elected on single votes in the local bodies elections.
They further that said that the PML-N government should amend the Local Government Ordinance 2013 and give powers to VCs.
Noshera UC Vice Chairman Virkan and Hakim Naeem Khokhar said they were unable to show off their face the to the public which had given the mandate to rule. “We have no funds at our disposal and that is why we can’t initiate development projects in our area. People ask us for work but we have no power and funds.”
Gujranwala UC Vice Chairman Khurram Cheema said: “The local area people have started taunting us for having no power and funds at our disposal, we have held several meetings with Hamza Shahbaz and other top PML-N leadership personnel but to no avail. We have been left with no other option but to hold a protest.”
On the occasion, UC vice chairmen and councillors chanted full-throat slogans against the PML-N government. The majority of VCs belonged to the ruling party. They said that the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was doing a double game and cheating them.
