KARACHI, May 8: Treasury members of the city council on Thursday criticised the Sindh government for reducing the share of the city government, town councils and union councils in octroi and zila tax (OZT) by 34 per cent.

They demanded that their full OZT share be restored. Through a resolution adopted unanimously on Thursday, the council members expressed concern over the sudden 34 per cent reduction in the monthly share of OZT issued to the city government, town councils and union councils.

They said that such a reduction in funds would not only adversely affect the ongoing development works in the city, but would also make it difficult for the local government to pay salaries to its employees.

At the outset of the proceedings, Juman Darwan of the Awam Dost group drew the attention of the presiding officer, Ahsan Siddiqui, towards the lack of quorum in the house as several members belonging to both treasury and opposition benches were not present.

Consequently, the presiding officer had to suspend the proceedings of the house.

The opposition members again protested over the lack of quorum when the house reassembled. However, the presiding officer ruled out the objections of the opposition towards the lack of quorum and allowed the treasury to table the resolution on an inter-city bus terminal in Yusuf Goth on Hub River Road.

This caused the opposition members to see red. Taking the floor of the house, Mr Darwan criticised the treasury for adopting illegal approach on all issues. He slammed the treasury over the budget issue, UC funds and demolition of villages. He added that it had always adopted what he described as unfair and illegal means to achieve its objectives.

He alleged that more than 7,000 acres had been illegally allotted in Taiser Town and, for this purpose, only Rs20 million had been given to the Malir Development Authority.

He said the opposition would not at all accept the injustices being committed against the native people of the province in the name of development. He vowed to raise the issue at the appropriate forum.

However, leader of the house Asif Siddiqui of the Haq Parast panel and Abdul Jalil denied the charges of the opposition leader and rejected as “negative” the overall attitude of the opposition, saying that they had never been serious about the business of the house.

“Creating disturbances in the house is the opposition’s regular practice,” they said, adding that even then the house had taken up serious issues with regard to the development of the city.

Opposition members including Abdul Razak and Ramzan Awan continued their protest in the house over several issues, including UC funds, but the presiding officer ignored them.

The protesting opposition members then staged a walkout from the house.

However, the house continued its business. In the absence of the opposition, it adopted five resolutions, including the one related to OZT.

The house approved a resolution on the extension plan of the inter-city bus terminal in Yusuf Goth on Hub River Road.

A resolution recommended to the government to fix Tuesday and Wednesday as meatless day instead of Wednesday and Thursday, a practice in force in Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan.

Through anther resolution, a committee comprising six members was set up to make its recommendation for the imposition of additional fees on the change of land-use in declared commercial areas.

The house also approved a resolution for the creation of a post of an executive district officer in the citizen community board. The council will now meet on May 13.