Daily Times

KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has proposed a fresh blueprint for distribution of funds under Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) on rural and urban Sindh basis.

This new paper was presented at the first meeting of PFC. Jam Khan Shoro, Sindh Minister for Local Government, Rafiquz Zaman MPA, Faisal Sabswari, opposition leader in Sindh Assembly, Waseem Akthar, Mayor Karachi, Arsalan Sheikh Mayor Sukkur, Iqbal Hussain Shah and Dr Ashraf Wasti, professional members on PFC committee and officials of concerned departments were present at the meeting.

It is informed that Dr Wasti has prepared this new paper on the directives of CM. Officials of CM House said that after gathering of comments by the concerned civic bodies’ representatives on new paper, a second meeting would be convince probably with a period of two months.

Officials were of the view that PFC distribution would likely to be considered on the basis of rural and urban division, as this was a universal fact among the masses of the province.

The proposed formula has been planned on the basis of population on districts level, backward areas and fiscal efforts and performance of urban and rural areas. The structure of local government system has been changed under Sindh Local Government (SLG)-Act 2013, having a distinction between urban and rural councils divided Sindh into two parts. Urban areas will be considered having 3.5 million population or above, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), District Municipal Corporations (DMCs), Union Committees having 40,000 to 50,000 population, including urban areas below 3.5 million population, municipal corporations and committees, town committees, union committees, single wards, single member wards and 11 members including 4 general wards.

In all 6 divisions with 29 districts in Sindh, number of urban councils stands 545 while rural number of councils stands 1,199, thus totaling 1,744 councils. The proposed rural areas comprise district councils, union councils and 11 members including 4 general wards.

The functions of local government vary by urban and rural area and by layers of council, major function of local councils can be divided into planning development, operation and maintenance, regulation, monitoring and coordination etc.