Rs598m released for 875 Hazara region village, neighbourhood councils

MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has released Rs598 million for execution of Annual Development Programme in 875 village and neighbourhood councils in the six districts in Hazara division.

The money was transferred to district account offices after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Department approved the transfer of the funds last week.The government has already transferred first and second tranches of ADP approved by those village and neighbourhood councils across Hazara division for current financial year.

According to an official letter, a copy of which is obtained by this correspondent, revealed that government has released third tranche of Rs147 million for 209 village and neighbourhood councils of Abbottabad, Rs156 million for 194 village and neighbourhood councils of Mansehra, Rs93 million for 162 village and neighbourhood councils of Kohistan, Rs122 million for 180 village and neighbourhood councils of Haripur, Rs57 million for 90 village and neighbourhood councils of Battagram and Rs29 million for 40 village and neighbourhood councils of Torghar district.

The amount meant for village and neighbourhood councils of Kohistan would be spent through local civic agencies as local government elections couldn’t be held because of bifurcation of Kohistan into three districts.

Ziaur Rehman Jadoon, Assistant director Local Government, told reporters that he had received a letter from government that money was released to district account offices and after adaptation of due process cheques would be released to each village and neighbourhood councils.

He said the government had to release four quarterly tranches of developmental funds during current fiscal 2016/17. He said three tranches had been released and the last one would be released by June this year.

Jadoon said that government was yet to release the non-developmental budget for ongoing fiscal year.  “I have taken up the delay in release of non-developmental budget to these village and neighbourhood councils and hopefully this issue would soon be settled,” he added.

Basharat Ali, nazim of village council Safada, told reporters that village and neighbourhood councils had received developmental budget  almost in time since start of current fiscal year but delay in release of non-developmental budget had adversely affected performance of local governments.He said nazims and naib nazims were without their salaries, rents and stationery in all 25 districts in KP.