QUETTA. In a move to lodge their protest against the deduction of budget, the Quetta Metropolitan Corporation (QMC) has refused to accept amount allocated by Balochistan’s Local Government (LG) Department.

"The LG department has unnecessarily deducted Rs80 million from our budget," Quetta Mayor Dr. Kaleemullah Khan Kakar said at a news conference on Monday, flanked by city’s Deputy Mayor Muhammad Younas Lehri.

Kaleemullah announced that the QMC has returned the budget amount to the provincial government in protest over what it called an unnecessary cut.

The QMC had passed a budget of Rs2.49 billion to meet its development and non-development expenditures this year.

"We had adopted this budget after through consultations," the Quetta city mayor said.

However, the LG department deducted an amount of Rs80 million from the sanctioned budget after which the QMC has returned the leftover budgetary allocation in protest.

Almost an year after election, the mayor of Quetta and city councillors still battle for achieving administrative and financial powers for local governments in Balochistan.

The deputy mayor of Quetta lamented that, "Some elements in LG department does not want to make the local body system a success."

Since establishment of local government system in Balochistan, the elected mayors and district chairmen have repeatedly accused the provincial government of not devolving powers to them.

The councillors and other members of local governments have threatened to tender their resignations during their agitation for acquisition of powers.

Dr. Kaleemullah has vowed to approach the courts to challenge what he called an unnecessary cut in the budget of QMC.

"We will go to any extent for guarding the local body system," he maintained.

The mayor of Quetta Dr. Kaleemullah belongs to ruling Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) and interestingly the LG's portfolio is also with a PkMAP minister.

Local body’s elections were held in Balochistan on December 7, 2013, following the orders of Supreme Court. The ruling coalition partners including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, PkMAP and National Party won majority of councillor seats across the province.