New LG system in Punjab to have 25,000 village councils, says Aleem

LAHORE: Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, talking of changes in the new government system of the province, said now there would be 25,000 village councils and each village will be having an independent set-up with the facility of direct funding.

The beauty of the system would be that all villages would be flourishing with development at the same time, the minister said while talking to reporters outside Punjab Assembly. Abdul Aleem Khan said the new local government system would empower its representatives with financial and administrative powers.

Nobody, including PML-N, should be worried as the system would be in the larger

interest of the country, he added. He categorically said that now no member of the national or provincial assembly would be allocated development funds but the local government representatives would get funds which would be a revolutionary step on the pattern of the developed countries.

He said that, unfortunately, the past rulers did nothing but bankrupted the federal and Punjab governments by wasting national exchequer for their personal motives. Abdul Aleem Khan said that use of government funds for construction of walls of houses and heavy corruption and commission resulted in the present state of affairs in which the masses had to bear the financial burden.

He said the present government was working in the right direction and soon relief would be provided to the people. Replying a question, Abdul Aleem Khan said that in the last 80 days of the present government, no case was made against any party or leader and all the existing cases were initiated by Nawaz League or Pakistan People’s Party against the leaders of each other. The responsibility of these matters cannot be put on the PTI government, he added.

He questioned why the forces shouting now were silent when in 2015 proceedings were started against him when he contested by-election in NA 122 and gave tough time to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq? He said he left ministry in 2007 and allegations were levelled against him after eights years for political motives only.

Replying a question, the provincial senior minister said that if the reservations were genuine, they must be addressed. He said that alliance of Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Pervaiz Elahi with the PTI would continue for long. He assured that issue raised by any member of the assembly would be addressed and the main agenda of progress and prosperity would be flourished with collective efforts.

To another question, Abdul Aleem Khan said there would be good news soon regarding South Punjab and a secretariat would be established in the area to resolve the issues of the people. He said the PTI government had set an example in the recent by-elections as there was not a single complaint about administrative or political pressure in any constituency.