SWABI, Feb 19: The district council on Tuesday castigated contractors, saying that  they carried out substandard work in construction and claimed that most of  the development  funds went straight to their pockets  through different tactics.

They called for checking this trend and stressed for durable construction with which the credibility of the local government was liked.

The demand was made through a resolution passed by the council.

The council also called for removing of the speed breakers erected on various bus stops on Swabi-Mardan Road which created difficulties for the commuters and transporters.

The members opposed holding of public meetings in the government schools and demanded that these should be arranged at some other places.

During the session, a woman councillor, Dr Farzana announced her resignation, saying that after getting government job she was no longer in position to spare time and there was no other option except quitting the counillorship.

The convener of the council told Dawn that her resignation had been accepted and now her seat would remain vacant till the government announcement to hold by-election.

The one-day session of the council was marred by verbal clashes by the two groups of councillors.

One group wanted to hold debate and pass the proposed development schemes but the opposition from the very beginning of the proceedings alleged that their union councils had been ignored and priority was being accorded to other schemes which created a sense of deprivation among them.

Most of the opposition members vacated their seats and raised slogans in front of the speaker insisting that the proposed development schemes were not acceptable to them.

The continuous refusal to take back their seats enraged the other group who pushed them back to their seats, asking them to remain in their legal limits and maintain the dignity of the house. The District Nazim Sher Zaman Sher was also present.

Later, some members of the council brought reconciliation between them and peaceful proceedings began. All proposed schemes were passed.

Most of the members alleged that the bureaucrats of various departments were not giving due weight to them and their action had put their credibility at stake.

“Some time the behaviour of bureaucrats agonized me to an extent that I felt ashamed to call myself the union council Nazim but on the other hand the people were expecting a lot from us. If such treatment by the bureaucrats continued it would be better to tender resignation,” Ijaz Khalid, a Nazim, said.