- Says we are not bringing any presidential system in the country
- Says Rs 40 bln funds will be allocated for 22,000 village councils of Punjab
- Says federal government went bankrupt due to the 18th Constitutional Amendment as the provinces were failed in tax collection
ISLAMABAD, May 6: Prime Minister Imran Khan says powers will be devolved to grass-roots level in the real sense in the new revolutionary local government system being introduced in Punjab.
Talking to senior journalists and anchorpersons in Islamabad on Monday, he said elections to local governments will be held directly in two tiers at village council or Panchaiat level and at tehsil level.
The Prime Minister said funds will be directly transferred to village councils and Tehsil Nazims, which will financially empower the local people to decide about their development projects. He said Tehsil Nazims can coordinate and choose a representative at district level.
He said twenty-two thousand Punchayats or village councils will be set up under the new local government system, and they will be provided one hundred and forty billion rupees. He said this direct election will bringforth new leadership.
He said in urban centers, mayors will be directly elected, and they will collect revenue to improve condition of cities in a better way.
The Prime Minister said the new local bodies system will empower city mayors to collect revenue and spend it on the welfare of urban dwellers and as well as improvement in cities’ infrastructure, development, and other matters.
He said mayors can bring his own team of professionals to improve civic facilities.
Answering a question, he said we are not bringing any presidential system in the country.
“Mumbai and New Delhi don’t receive money from the government but collect their own money,” PM Khan added.
The PM said Karachi can never be improved because it doesn’t have money and it can’t generate its own money.
PM Khan also put to rest speculations about the presidential form of government. “Everyone is saying a presidential form of government is coming but I don’t know why they are saying it.”
The premier detailed that Rs40 billion funds will be allocated for 22,000 village councils of Punjab province.
“There is no shortage of money in Pakistan,” he said. “The CDA auctioned plots worth Rs11 billion last month.”-Sabah/Agencies
