KARACHI, July 14: The City Council on Monday urged the Sindh government to release the withheld funds of the union councils so that they could control the financial crisis.

Presided over by City Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, the council, through a unanimously adopted resolution, also called for releasing the UCs’ monthly payment in the beginning of each month so that they could manage their affairs smoothly.

Earlier, both sides of the divide also condemned the government for imposing a 50 per cent cut on union councils on account of Octroi Zila tax (OZT), saying the financial secretary was not empowered to take such a decision.

When the convener submitted the resolution in the house for voting, a clear split was noticed in the Al-Khidmat panel. Some of its members, along with the Awam Dost panel, did not participate in the voting, while some of its members supported the resolution.

At the outset of the proceedings, members of the treasury and opposition benches traded accusations against each other on various issues.

Haq Parast panel member Dr Nikhat Shakil accused the Awam Dost member Yusuf Naz of visiting the Spencer Eye Hospital along with a media team and filming the event. She said Mr Naz, being a member of the house committee constituted to inquire into the hospital’s plight, had taken undue advantage of his position.

However, on a point of explanation, Mr Naz denied the allegation of the Haq Parast member, saying that the claim was totally unfounded as he had not visited the hospital.

Later, Mr Naz drew the attention of the convener towards the manhandling of the Al-Khidmat panel’s Ramzan Awan, allegedly by a city government official.

The convener told Mr Awan to submit the relevant papers regarding the dispute. Mr Awan also briefed the house about the ugly incident that took place on Saturday.

Blame game

The proceedings of the session were in progress when members of both sides started indulging in the blame game. The treasury benches slated the present government’s financial policies which would, they claimed, badly upset the working of local government institutions, including union councils.

They called for the withdrawal of the 50 per cent cut in the union councils’ OZT fund and stressed that the monthly payment of Rs200,000 to each union council be restored.

The treasury also criticised the financial secretary, saying that he was not empowered to take such a vital decision.

Some of the treasury members blamed the government for inflation, saying that the increasing price-hike has overburdened the common man as prices of essential commodities had gone up manifold, making the life of common citizens miserable.

The speeches of the treasury members created a tense atmosphere in the house.

House leader Asif Siddiqui tried to calm down the situation. He said: “we are fully aware of the problems of the government,” adding that “we do not want to harm the government but to improve its policies by drawing the attention of the government towards the people’s problems.”

Reacting to the speech of Mr Siddiqui, Awam Dost panel member Juman Darwan, in an emotionally-charged speech, blamed the government of President Pervez Musharraf and his past allies for the multiple crises confronting the country. He asked the Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership either to support the present government or quit.

A resolution on the price-hike was also tabled in the house. The debate on the issue was continuing when the convener adjourned the house to meet again on July 17.