Unanimous resolution: IMC rejects shifting control of weekly bazaars

ICTA had written letter to CDA seeking control of markets

ISLAMABAD: Members of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) on Friday unanimously rejected a move to shift control of the weekly bazaars from the IMC to the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration.

In this regard a resolution was passed unanimously during the 10th session of the house which met at the Pak China Centre.

Islamabad Mayor and Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Anser Aziz presided over the session. A number of IMC officials including Deputy Mayors Rifat Javed, Syed Zeeshan Naqvi and Azam Khan, along with IMC Chief Metropolitan Officer (CMO) Asad Mehboob Kiyani attended the session.

The IMC and ICT administration had been at loggerheads for nearly a month over who should control the weekly bazaars.

In mid-January, the ICTA had written to the CDA, asking the civic body to hand over administrative control of the four weekly bazaars in Sectors I-9/1, H-9, G-11 and G-6/1 as per the ICT Agriculture Produce Market Ordinance 2002 and the ICT Agriculture Produce General Market Rules of 2014.



According to these two laws, a market committee of the local administration was supposed to run the bazaars so that they may check the agricultural products being sold there.

The bazaars, though, had been established by the CDA. However, after the local government was formed last year, administrative control of these bazaars had been devolved to the directorate of municipal administration under the IMC.

While discussing issues including the IMC budget, revision in taxes imposed by UCs, the meeting also took up the matter of the weekly bazaars.

All IMC members opposed the idea of shifting administrative control over the weekly bazaars from IMC to ICTA. The house subsequently passed a unanimous resolution stating that the IMC was efficiently managing affairs of the weekly bazaars and that shifting administrative control to any other department would disturb the process of providing different items of daily use to residents.

IMC budget

Regarding the status of IMC’s budget, Aziz said that the non-development budget had been approved by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and it was currently pending with the Finance Division.

He expressed the hope that the budget would be allocated in next few days. The mayor also asked the chairmen of respective union councils to submit details of development schemes in their areas so that budget could be allocated.

Allowances

Discussing stipends for members of the house, Aziz directed to constitute a committee which would submit its suggestions after taking into consideration allowances being drawn by members of such corporations in the other cities of the country.

He added that women members of the house should be given equal representation in all committees.

Taxes

Deliberating different taxes collected by various UCs, the mayor said that taxes including professional tax would be collected by the respective union councils in accordance with the provision of Local Government Act 2015.

While informing the house about the steps taken to upgrade the sanitation system in the city, Aziz said that advertisements for establishing a solid waste management system in the capital had been published.

He added that under the new system, sanitation services would be provided to the entire city, including the rural areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2017.