Multan declared metropolitan city under new LG Act 2019

MULTAN: The Punjab government has declared Multan a metropolitan city under the new Local Government Act 2019 and directed the divisional administration to make arrangements for holding the local government election in all four districts like other parts of the province. However, no date has been announced yet to hold the local government election in the province, said Punjab Local Government Additional Secretary Masood Anwar while talking to journalists after holding a meeting here on Saturday.

He told that the Punjab government had upgraded the district and given it the status of metropolitan city due to continuous public demand. He said that special funds would be allocated to the district. The Punjab government was very keen to stabilise the local government institutions at all levels to solve public problems at their doorstep.

The new LG system had introduced well-coordinated system between Local Government representatives and government officials and they should play their role for strengthening the LG system at grass root level, he said.

He said that transition data would be uploaded at the dashboard of department of Local Government besides allocation of universal telephone line for all local councils. Initially, he added, the universal telephone line had been allocated to Multan was 22, Khanewal 15, Lodhran 19 and Vehari 36 while all the union councils would be connected through universal numbers in the district.

The UAN number 1 was allotted to Multan metropolitan, Multan Municipal Corporation 2, each town committee 4 and each tehsil 5, he said.

The census block would not break in settling boundaries of district, he continued. All the boundaries would be fixed in the light of population influx and trade activities, he added. The fixation of boundaries and limits in MCM and MCs had been started while all deputy commissioners would submit initial recommendations by September 25, he told. The boundary limits would be displayed on September 26 seeking public suggestions, he maintained. Multan Commissioner Iftikhar Ali Sahu said that public would submit all suggestions and objections at the Commissioner Office till October 18. The deputy commissioners would prepare final draft of suggestions by October 26, he added. The union councils’ boundary limits would be finalised till November 2, he added. The Punjab government had designated commissioners as the competent authority for settling the Local Government issues, he informed. The deputy commissioners would finalise the district boundary limits while assistant commissioners would be responsible for tehsils, he said. The establishment of the Municipal Corporation would allow with population size of more than 250,000, he added.

The Municipal Committee would consist of population below than 250,000 and above than 75,000, he told. The Town Committee would consist of population below than 75,000 and above than 20,000, he added. The commissioner also ordered the Divisional Transaction Team for compiling lists of assets and employees of all departments.