Most Seraiki speaking towns and villages are located in Southern Punjab. —APP/File photo

LAYYAH The Layyah district council in a unanimously adopted resolution on Saturday demanded the creation of a Seraiki province.

Through other resolutions, the council condemned what it called the rude behaviour of DCO Javed Iqbal and the district administration's negligence in utilising development funds and widespread corruption in the revenue department.

The council met here with convener Ameer Muhammed Gullo in the chair. Thal Kalan union council nazim Nasir Rasheed tabled a resolution demanding that southern Punjab should be declared as a separate Seraiki province. The house adopted the resolution unanimously.

Ludhiana union nazim Naveed Ahmed Gujjar tabled another resolution against what he called the rude behaviour of DCO Javed Iqbal and widespread corruption in the revenue department.

Layyah City-3 nazim Malik Abdul Aziz tabled another resolution about the negligence of the district administration in utilising Rs1.5 billion development funds. The house adopted these resolutions unanimously.

Addressing the council, District Nazim Malik Ghulam Haider Thind presented the proposals of the house accounts committee. According to the proposals, the committee had questioned the use of Rs4 million by the district forests department in planting saplings in different areas of the district. The committee demanded a probe into the matter.

The committee also questioned the use of Rs2 million funds for organising the district festival and distribution of Rs700,000 sports funds. The committee took notice that these funds were misappropriated and alleged that sports officer had provided these funds to different sports clubs.

The district nazim criticised the nexus of DCO, elected representatives and the provincial government and alleged that the DCO had unlawfully and illegally hindered the utilisation of development funds. No one could stop the execution of schemes approved by the district council and the district development committee.

He said that Ejaz Ahmed Achlana, an MPA of the ruling party, got approved two schemes of construction of bridges costing Rs400 million from the provincial government but it had allocated District Layyah's sugar cess funds for the schemes.

He said that sugarcane farmers and sugar mills' administration had protested against this decision and demanded that the government of Punjab should provide funds for these schemes from its own kitty. Later, convener Gullo adjourned the meeting.