Rs2b to be released for local govts

The provincial government has decided to release Rs2 billion for local governments across the province, Finance Minister Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said on Thursday. She was chairing a meeting of local government representatives. She said that initially, the government would release Rs500,000 and Rs400,000 for each union council in urban and rural areas, respectively. The money will be spent on the procurement of office infrastructure and the maintenance of offices of public representatives. She said the grant would be routed through district coordination officers (DCOs). She said all local government institutions would be required to have their accounts audited by the Auditor General’s Office. She said the Lahore Metropolitan Corporation, 11 municipal corporations, 35 district councils, 714 urban union councils, 3,304 rural union councils and 72 district health and education authorities would benefit from the initial grant.