RMC regains metropolitan status

Local Govt Act 2013 comes into effect again, Murree MC also given corporation status

RAWALPINDI:

Following the reinstatement of the Local Government Act 2013, the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) regained its metropolitan corporation.

Meanwhile, the Murree Municipal Committee (MMC) has also been elevated to municipal corporation status. The total number of local bodies in the district has increased to 14.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Amir Khattak has assumed the role of administrator of the RMC and will exercise the powers of the mayor and deputy mayor until the next local body elections in Punjab. Similarly, senior officers have been appointed as administrators of the municipal corporations, while junior officers have been entrusted with the responsibilities of municipal committee Administrators.

The law department has cancelled notifications issued on November 1, 2019, and January 17, 2023, effective June 2023. Moreover, deputy commissioners have taken over as administrators of 35 district councils in Punjab, while assistant commissioners have assumed the roles of administrators for tehsil-level municipal committees.

The local government and community development assistant director has been appointed as the province's administrator of 4,015 inion councils.

The budgets for the new financial year will be prepared by commissioners, deputy commissioners, and assistant commissioners, and will be deemed approved upon their signature. The budgets for the metropolitan corporation, municipal corporation, district council, five municipal committees, and town committee of Rawalpindi district will be implemented by July 10.

The revised local government system in Rawalpindi district now comprises 14 local bodies, including the RMC, MMC, one district council, five municipal committees, and five cantonment boards. All cantonment boards have local body representatives, and administrators have been appointed in Punjab.

Officials say this reorganisation aims to streamline local governance and ensure effective administration in the district.

In 2022, the RMC was reduced to the rank of a municipal corporation after the Punjab government restored the Local Government Act 2019.

Similarly, the Rawalpindi district council was restored

Under the then-restored LG system, the number of local bodies in the Rawalpindi district were decreased to eight, having two municipal corporations, five municipal committees and one district council.

The tehsil and town system were also abolished once again. All of Rawalpindi's rural areas were given under the district council, while the city areas of tehsils fell under the municipal committees. The Rawalpindi District Council had a total of 120 union councils, making Rawalpindi the largest district council of Punjab in terms of union councils.