HYDERABAD, June 17: Members of the city taluka council on Thursday criticized the issuance of no-objection certificates for electricity and gas connections to encroachers.

Speaking in the council session, Abdul Hameed said that a meat market in his union council had been encroached upon and the taluka officer (regulation) was asked to remove the encroachment but in vain.

He said that no report had been submitted so far in the meeting and added that shops around the civil hospital were also encroached but they had been given NOCs. He walked out from the meeting in protest saying that it was useless that members could not even get encroachments removed.

Azhar Sheikh supported the argument and said that residents of his union council had given an ultimatum regarding removal of encroachments. The chair also agreed with members and said that an explanation should be sought from the taluka officer regulations.

Qamar Sheikh objected on the ground that two-year-old issue had again been raised. Waheed Ajmeri accused Taluka Nazim Haji Moinuddin Sheikh of insulting his brother in Nashtarabad fire brigade station without any reasons.

Azhar Sheikh said that it had been three years when the devolution system was introduced but the monogram of the defunct municipal corporation had not yet been replaced in the council hall.

The members also objected to the promotion of Rafiq Marwari as health official in taluka municipal administration. The TMO told the chair that matter was decided before he took over the charge. It prompted Jagdesh Kumar, Azhar Sheikh, Waheed Qureshi and others to stage a walk out.

NIC FORMS: On Wednesday the city taluka council demanded that the National Database Registration Authority should restore the procedure of attestation of computerized national identity cards forms by union council nazims and naib nazims.

A resolution in this connection was tabled by Usman Abbasi, saying that it had been noticed that people always forget to get their children's names enrolled in B-forms due to a lack of knowledge.

He said that the NADRA had allowed attestation of CNICs forms by UC nazims but now production of birth and school certificates had been made compulsory. He said that the condition was causing difficulties to the people. He appealed to the interior minister to restore the procedure of attestation by nazims and naib nazims.

Illahi Bux Sheikh, Waheed Qureshi and others supported the resolution. Convenor Qadeer Naghar took notice of absence of the TMA officials and directed the council officer to write letters to them to attend sessions regularly.

He said that a copy of such letters should also be sent to the secretary local government department. Waheed Ajmeri demanded that a ban should be imposed on swimming in the Phulelli canal.

The report of the fire brigade committee also came under discussion by members. Initiating the debate Waheed Ajmeri said that each point of the report should be discussed separately. Some members said that a wireless set had been shown missing in the report.