HYDERABAD, May 10: Ever since creation of Hyderabad District Government, withholding of payment of octroi share to around 50 old union councils of the district, running into millions of rupees , has continued to create problems for the UCs.

There are liabilities of Rs 52.342 million of the UCs which are to be cleared from their octroi share. Sources said that the share of the UCs has been withheld by the Sindh government under directives of the National Reconstruction Bureau.

They said that the UCs were getting their octroi share before creation of district government under the devolution plan but ever since district government started working in Hyderabad, their share has been withheld for unknown reasons.

However, the new UCs of three talukas of City, Latifabad and Qasimabad are getting their due share. The octroi share of each UC varies with the revenue generation in their areas.

The liabilities of Rs 52.342 million pertain to development schemes that had been executed before local bodies elections and yet to be cleared as the contractors are made to run from pillar to post to get the money.

The 13 UCs whose liabilities have accumulated to Rs52.342 million include Dhingano Bozdar, Jinhan Soomro, Shaikh Bhirkio, Husri, Hatri, Tando Fazal, Muso Khatian, Sawan Khan Gopang, Seri, Masu Bhurgari, Dasoori, Missan and Shah Alam Shah ji Wassi.

Seri union council alone has a liability of Rs 30.736 million because its revenue generation was high as compared to other UCs given the fact that Zeal Pak cement factory, Seri sugar mill and part of Hyderabad site area is located in its jurisdiction.

Three other UCs - Dhingano Bozdar, Jihnan Soomro and Sheikh Bhirkio - are also supposed to be lucrative as sugar mills are located in their jurisdictions.

A UC Nazim attributed the problem of non-payment of octroi share to a dispute between the then district officer finance and UC Seri administration, when the latter claimed payment of octroi share of around Rs 15 million at that time. He added that now it has accumulated to around Rs 30 million.

For clearance of liabilities, the local government department had constituted a three-member committee, headed by EDO works & services, Habibur Rehman, to resolve the controversy.

The committee was supposed to pay visits to development sites and approve or reject the pace of work. The EDO told Dawn that of all these UCs around six to seven cases have been finalized after their papers were produced before the committee by their secretary concerned.

These cases have been sent to DCO Hyderabad for further proceedings, he added. He said that delay was being mainly caused due to the fact that UC secretaries were not handing over documents to the relevant committee.

A source asserted that as far as the payment of octroi share is concerned clear directives were issued by then secretary local government to all DCOs, zila nazims and taluka/town of the province on March 16, 2002, to clear the backlog.

The source, however, added that in a recent letter, issued by incumbent secretary local government the release of octroi share to rural-based UCs has been withheld as per directive of NRB.

Chief whip of zila council Hyderabad, Miran Muhammad Shah said that octroi share continued to accumulate on the part of district governments but it was not being released.

He said that Nazims of all the affected UCs have moved a representation to chairman NRB in this regard besides regularly taking-up the case with DCO and secretary Sindh local government department.

He claimed that all the old UCs are getting only salaries of their staff that was also made from their octroi share. He said that UCs Seri, Sheikh Bhirkio and Jinhan Soomro did get some payment from octroi share for clearance of liabilities but these have not been cleared on the whole.