Public money: Ex-councillors accuse official of harrassment

Former councillors of Lal Bux Jatoi file a constitutional petition.

KARACHI: Former councillors of Lal Bux Jatoi have filed a constitutional petition, questioning a notice issued to them by Mirpur Bathoro’s revenue Mukhtiarkar, under Section 81 of the Land Revenue Act 1969. According to the notice, the petitioners are required to deposit Rs637,520 into government coffers as, according to the Muktiarkar, the amount for a watercourse project was not used.

However, the petitioners state that representatives of the taluka, filed the petition against fresh tenders for the Ganj Baha watercourse that was completed at a cost of Rs1.05 million. The amount is not due to be paid by them but is payable by the taluka municipal administration, they maintained, terming the notice an attempt to harass them.The petitioners maintain that calling for fresh tenders for the completed project was an attempt by Mirpur Bathoro administrator and DCO Thatta to siphon off public funds.

On Saturday, a division bench of the Sindh High Court referred the plea raised by the former councillor to the Sindh provincial ombudsman.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2010.