GILGIT, Feb 27: Women members of the district council have accused their men colleagues of discrimination in allocation of development funds, but the council's chairman rejected the allegation.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club with non-government organizations' workers, Yasmin Fida Ali and Perveen Ali Jan said the chairman of the council had slashed their funds, affecting different schemes.

The women councillors belonging to the Hunza and Nagar tehsils said they were facing the discriminatory attitude of the 12 men in the council. "We are told that the development funds of women members are at the discretion of the chairman," Ms Ali said.

"We approached the Northern Areas chief executive for an increase in funds but our proposal is pending at the planning and development department," Ms Jan said. They alleged that the men in the council were least concerned about the problems of women in the region.

They threatened to launch a protest campaign if their development funds were not increased. District Council Chairman Abdul Karim, in a press conference on Thursday, denied the allegations and said funds were allocated with the approval of the majority in the council.

"Since women are elected indirectly, their funds can be slashed and even abolished by the chairman," he said. He said the devolution plan should be implemented in the Northern Areas or at least reforms should be introduced in the local bodies system to curtail the powers of the bureaucracy.

He demanded party-based local bodies elections and said they had been instrumental in defusing sectarian politics in Gilgit and strengthening harmony there. He said the voters' age should be reduced.