The duty of our District Councils is clear: to ensure we have clean water, functioning sanitation and safe roads for everyone. Yet, the state of our local areas — still suffering from holes in the roads, broken streetlights and overflowing gutters — shows this basic duty isn’t being met, often leading to unsafe streets and compromised public security.
The core problem is wrong resource allocation. Public funds desperately needed for operations and maintenance are consistently being directed elsewhere. We see scarce local finances being used to support specialised projects, such as centres for “professional skill development” or “career mobility”. While these training investments are good, they benefit only a very small group of people.
When the foundational infrastructure of our towns and villages is visibly collapsing and when basic health and safety are compromised by garbage and failed drainage, using public money on non-essential facilities is deeply unfair to the public.
Our local leaders must listen to the voices of the citizens and conduct an honest review of expenditures. Funds must be re-allocated for core functions. Good governance must begin with the basics: clean streets, safe water and functional utilities for all communities.
Zakia Panhwar
Sukkur
