CM says newly elected nazims expected to curb corruption

NOWSHERA: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said on Sunday that people expected the newly-elected nazims to curb corruption, ensure judicious use of development funds and observe the rules of business and government policies.
Briefing the PTI district and tehsil nazims about the government’s reforms, especially devolution of powers under the local government system, Pervez Khattak said that most of the powers of the chief executive and the cabinet had been surrendered.
Regarding the allegation that the provincial government was creating hurdles to allow nazims to exercise the powers of posting and transfers in the devolved district departments, the chief minister said that he could not delegate the powers that even he did not enjoy.
However, he said the Local Government Rules of Business would soon be introduced, which would provide procedures for district governments’ functioning as well as exercise of powers and policy guidelines.
He informed the nazims that a comprehensive law was being considered to make teachers’ postings non-transferable.
The chief minister added said that the same approach would be introduced in the Health Department to overcome shortage of doctors and other medical professionals in public sector medical facilities.
He disclosed that the local governments would work in collaboration with the provincial government to monitor the working of the devolved departments, particularly education, health, police and revenue, to ensure continuity of the system.
He said a strict monitoring and technology-based vigilance mechanism had also been evolved to check performance of the government departments and public service facilities.
Pervez Khattak said the purpose of devolution of powers to the local governments was to solve the problems being faced by the public and to ensure provision of justice.
He said the nazims could not be paid salaries, saying that it was not possible for the government to pay salaries to 44,000 elected members of the district governments.