Pay day: Rs22.8 million announced for Batkhela TMA salaries

LG minister announces special funds to support local bodies’ in future

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister for Local Government Inayatullah Khan announced a grant of Rs22.8 million on Monday to Batkhela Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA). This money will be used for employee salaries and other liabilities.

According to a handout issued on Monday, the announcement was made at a meeting with TMA employees, arranged by former MNA Bakhtiar Maani, in Malakand. On this occasion, Secretary of Local Council Board Syed Zafar Ali Shah, LG officials and TMA employees of Batkhela and Dargai were present. The minister informed participants Malakand district council would receive Rs780.8 million as development budget this year and a portion of this amount had already been released.

Promising progress

The LG minister disclosed a special endowment fund with Rs50 million was being established to support local bodies in financial crises in the future.



“Special grants are only scheduled for a period of three years,” said Inayatullah. He added local bodies should use this period to chalk out fund raising techniques to bear their own expenditure in future.

Inayatullah directed authorities to implement the decision of one-step promotion in LG departments. He told TMA Batkhela to process the case of establishing a modern bus terminal in the area.

“A technical wing was established within the department,” said Inayatullah, adding this created posts for a chief engineer, engineers and sub-engineers. “60 sub-engineers were recently appointed for this purpose.”

While criticising the poor performance of TMAs, Khan said anti-encroachment drives must be sped up and he would check on the campaign’s results after a month.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th,  2015.