MANSEHRA: Lack of government funding has rendered local bodies in the province ineffective, claimed Mansehra tehsil council chairman Sheikh Mohammad Shafee on Tuesday.

He told reporters here that tehsil councils were installed in the province following the local government elections in March 2022 but they were “of no use” for being without funds.

“We [local bodies] are too strapped for cash to present and approve budgets for the financial year 2023-24,” he said.

Mr Shafee said it was unfortunate that the local government department had directed the tehsil municipal administrations to submit budgetary proposals to its secretary for examination and approval.

He complained that tehsil councils didn’t have presiding officers, only who, by virtue of their offices, could lead their sessions. “This year, too, the provincial government will approve TMA budgets in the absence of presiding officers,” he said.

Mansehra tehsil council chairman informs PML-N delegation about issues

The council chairman said he had proposed the Rs500 million development budget.

He said the government would make the salary budget and tehsil’s share in the Provincial Finance Commission Award part of tehsil council budget.

Mr Shafee said the TMA expected Rs220 million revenue from property tax in the last financial year but the revenue collection came down to Rs80 million due to an increase in taxes by the Federal Board of Revenue from six per cent to 21 per cent.

Earlier, the council chairman briefed a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz delegation led by Rub Nawaz Mughal about the issues facing the tehsil municipal administration. The visitors included tehsil councillors.

Mr Mughal said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved Rs1 billion funds for water supply to Mansehra during the recent visit to the district.

He urged Ms Shafee to ensure the project’s execution without further delay.

KILLED: A man was killed and two suffered critical injuries when a jeep they travelled in fell into a deep ravine in Sangar area of Balakot tehsil here on Tuesday.

The incident occurred as the driver lost control of the jeep while negotiating a sharp turn on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road. The jeep was bound for Balakot from Sangar.

The locals shifted the injured to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital whose doctors declared Malah Khan, an Afghan national, dead and referred the injured, Ali Haider Shah and Bilal Hussain, to the Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad, due to serious condition.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2023