HARIPUR, June 29: Opposition members in the district council have accused the district government of embezzling funds earmarked for Jashn-i-Haripur, Jashn-i-Khari Gandgar Ghazi and a tour of councillors.

Speaking at the district council session, they demanded audit of funds spent on the occasions. Members from the opposition and treasury benches exchanged hot words over the endorsement of last session's proceedings.

Kholian Union Council Nazim Salim Khan protested against the change of site of a tubewell scheme in his area and alleged that Convener Mohammad Riaz Khan Jadoon had incorporated certain schemes in the minutes of the session without taking the council into confidence.

The convener and Salim Khan exchanged hot words over the issue. A member, Farzana Rauf, walked out of the council when the convener did not allow her to speak. She returned to the session on being persuaded by her colleagues.

Salim Khan, Aslam Khan Bagra, Qamar Zaman and Riaz Khan accused the district government of misappropriating funds allocated for a tour of members, Jashn-i-Haripur and Jashn-i-Khari Gandgar and said it had not maintained any accounts. They demanded an inquiry into the matters by federal agencies.

District Nazim Raja Amer Zaman, speaking on a point of order, told the council that the district government had written to the auditor-general for audit of its accounts.

He assured the council that action would be initiated against those found involved in embezzlement. Saeed Abbasi and Riaz Khan criticized the district nazim for his failure to maintain law and order.

Kalinjer UC Nazim Sakhawat Shah said a population of over 22,000 in his area was deprived of potable water. He said springs in the area had dried up and people had to fetch water from distant places.

He expressed the fear that a large number of people would leave the area if the situation remained unchanged. He demanded tubewell schemes and arrangements for provision of potable water to the area on war footings.

The chairman of the labour committee of the council, Malik Ali Asghar, alleged that negligence of the management of the Saadi Cement Factory in Hattar had resulted in the death on nine workers on Saturday.

He said the management was responsible of the accident as it was manufacturing cement with an old-fashioned plant. He alleged that the death toll could be higher than that claimed by the management. He demanded Rs500,000 compensation for each worker killed or injured in the fire. He said a committee should hold an investigation into the accident.