PESHAWAR
Caretaker Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Justice (Retired) Syed Arshad Hussain Shah on Tuesday engaged with a delegation of municipal representatives to discuss pressing issues faced by local bodies in the province.
The delegation highlighted concerns encompassing fund allocation challenges, diminished powers of municipal representatives, establishment of offices in merged districts, and other pertinent matters.
Responding promptly, the Chief Minister decided to immediately allocate funds to address the financial constraints faced by local bodies, particularly in the fight against non-development expenditures, salary disbursements, and outstanding payments.
In a directive, the Chief Minister emphasized the urgent provision of funds for the establishment of offices for the VCNCs in the merged districts.
He also assured that with the improvement in the province’s financial situation, additional funds would be released in the next phase to support non-development expenditures of municipal governments.
The Chief Minister announced the issuance of an ordinance for essential amendments to municipal laws once approval is obtained from the Election Commission. This move aims to enhance the regulatory framework governing municipal governments.
The Chief Minister proposed necessary amendments in the Rules of Business to include elected municipal representatives as members in various committees and boards at the local level.
Recognizing the pivotal role of municipal governments in resolving local issues, Justice Arshad Hussain Shah asserted their commitment to addressing the challenges faced by municipal bodies and pledged to take comprehensive measures for their resolution.
He underscored the significance of resolving municipal issues on a priority basis in the merged districts and reaffirmed the government’s dedication to implementing necessary reforms for the betterment of local governance.
