City Council demands release of Rs162bn announced for Karachi Package.

Byline: Tahir Siddiqui

KARACHI -- The Council of the Karachi Metropolitan CorpAoraAtion on Thursday, through a resolution, demanded immediate release of Rs162 billion funds of the Karachi Package announced in a meeting of the Karachi Transformation Committee.

The general body meeting of the council held in the Council Hall of KMC Building also passed other resolutions amid strong protest by the opposition. The opposition members wanted to discuss the city's problems before the approval of the 18-point agenda of the session.

Deputy Mayor Arshad Hasan presided over the meeting. Metropolitan Commissioner and Secretary of the Council Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rehman also attended the meeting.

The session descended into chaos when chairman of Union Council No 8, Lyari, Abdul Hameed, rose and invited the attention of the chair to the problems in his area. He said the roads and lanes in the vicinity were in a poor condition.

He deplored that not a single rupee was allocated for his UC in the budget book of the city's municipal administration.

Opposition councillors protest, claim no funds released for their areas

He said that no development works were carried out in the constituency due to the absence of funds. 'This situation is highly deplorable and critical as we are answerable to our voters,' he said.

The deputy speaker asked him to take his seat, advising him to meet him in his chamber to discuss the issues of his area.

However, the UC chairman said he would lie down on the floor of the house if he was not allowed to discuss the municipal problems being faced by the people of his constituency. The opposition members chanted slogans against the mayor as highly charged UC chairman Hameed approached the podium.

Amid uproar, the chair continued the business and the council approved all resolutions one after another with the deputy mayor smiling in the chair.

The women opposition members also joined their colleagues, tearing up copies of the agenda.

Demand for release of Rs162bn

The council through a resolution demanded the release of Rs162bn funds with the package for the current year so the city's condition could improve.

Through another resolution the council members gave approval for the upgrade of the school of nursing...