Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Chairmen of 25 district councils from Balochistan have locked their offices as they were not given both funds and powers.

Kachchi District Council Chairman Sardar Khan Rind said, “For the last two years neither the powers are being delegated to us nor funds are being released to launch public schemes. Presently, offices of district councils in 25 districts have been locked and we have shut down offices of about 50 town committees under protest because we have nothing to give to the people.”

He said Rs 11.45 billion were allocated for local governments, but the provincial government distributed Rs 3 billion among its own coteries.

“The people come to us with a list of their problems but former chief minister Abdul Malik Baloch has made us slaves to bureaucracy through local government laws. As per law no scheme can be approved unless deputy commissioner and chief commissioner give approval. Bureaucracy gives yes nod to the schemes of such persons who grease the palms of bureaucracy and show allegiance to PML-N. We have become so much helpless and powerless that chairman of any district council cannot ask any naib qasid to get him a cup of tea.”

Rind said, “Former finance minister Khalid Longo was in jail for misusing our funds. The finance secretary is also behind the bars. Now the chief minister has kept our funds under his control.”

“We are united for our rights. Chairmen of 25 out of 32 districts are agreed that we will struggle for the sake of rights of the people. If our demands are not accepted till November 7 then we will announce our future strategy,” he concluded.