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Local bodies document for

people's awareness soon

ISLAMABAD: Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau Lt General Tanvir Hussain Naqvi (Retd) has said that a document would soon be published to create awareness among people regarding the structure of newly proposed District Assemblies.

Thousands of copies are being printed to be circulated among the people belonging to all spheres of life across the country, he said in a Radio programme.

The Local Bodies system was first introduced by government of Ayub Khan, adding now we have changed the old system by introducing a newly planned Union Councils comprising 26 members with 50 percent representation of women.

He said, due to increased representation of women, they can also get their due share in decision making.

In the newly planned local bodies system the government has also accommodated labour and peasant classes.

Lt General Tanvir Hussain (Retd) said every Union Council will form sub-committees on education, health, accounts, public safety, environment, poverty alleviation, civic amenities, literacy.

These committees, he said, would co-ordinate with their concerned government departments to solve the people's problems at their doorsteps besides monitoring the performance of these departments.

He observed that illiteracy was the major hurdle in the progress and prosperity of the country and the sub-committee on literacy would play a vital role in increasing literacy ratio.

He said, majority of people are illiterate and there is a need to raise the literacy rate.

Talking about the difference between district council and district assembly, the Chairman NRB said the district assembly would accommodate rural and urban population equally and would form committees to resolve the problems of masses.

These districts assembly would have also powers to impose new taxes, he added.

To a query, he said the total number seats for women throughout the country would be at least 1,00,000.

To another query regarding Chief Mayors, he said the nation was well aware of its interest and it is people's responsibility to select responsible and efficient persons for the post.ÑAPP