Official says LG Dept revenue increased by 300 percent

PESHAWAR: A senior official of the Local Government Department on Tuesday said that revenue of the department had been increased from Rs2 billion to over Rs8 billion.

Secretary Local Council Board Khizar Hayat Khan told a meeting of the board that revenue has increased during the last three years.

The meeting was attended by Special Assistant to Chief Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Kamran Bangash, Secretary Local Government Department Shakil Ahmad Mian and other officials.

He said that the department was put along the modern lines and e-bidding and e-tendering had been introduced for the first time in the province.

The official said that other departments were also adopting these electronic methods. He said that 25 tehsil municipal officers were appointed after the merger of Fata into KP. He said that decision had been taken to give cattle, fruits and vegetable markets to contractors.

The official said that a policy was being prepared to provide legal advisers to the tehsil municipal administrations (TMAs).

He said that steps were being taken to discourage illegal housing schemes and protect agricultural land from being used for housing schemes. He added that a policy was being formulated to lease out the properties of the TMAs. The official said that training programmes were being introduced for promotions in the departments. Kamran Bangash told the meeting that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government wanted to devolve powers. He said that it was the performance of the previous government that the PTI was voted into power for the second term in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.