District council and municipal corporation systems will be abolished once the new framework is implemented
RAWALPINDI:
Rawalpindi city has been divided into two parts under the new local government system. The towns will be Rawal Town One and Rawal Town Two, or other names may be given later.
The city will now consist of two towns, each with its own mayor, while a total of four deputy mayors will be appointed. Under this system, the district council and municipal corporation framework will be completely abolished.
Moreover, according to sources, Rawalpindi district has been divided into seven cities under the new local government structure.
The division has been made along Murree Road, with all the union councils on one side of Murree Road included in city one, while the union councils on the other side will come under city two.
A separate Potohar town will be created, comprising rural union councils. Similarly, other tehsils of Rawalpindi district will be designated as towns including Kallar Syedan town, Kahuta town, Gujar Khan town and Taxila town.
Under the new system, the district council will be permanently abolished, while the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation will also cease to exist. As soon as the schedule for local elections in Punjab is announced, the new city-based system will become operational.
Across Punjab, non-party local elections are being seriously considered in the first half of the new year, probably in April or May. Under this system, union councils will also be reorganized.
The ward system within union councils has been abolished and each councilor will now represent the entire union council constituency. After being elected, all councilors, including Labor councillors, will elect their chairman and deputy chairman by majority vote.
Former Rawalpindi Mayor Sardar Naseem Khan has welcomed the new local government system comprising two mayors and four deputy mayors for the city. He said the system would facilitate delivery of public services, lead to record development projects and ensure that public problems are resolved at citizens’ doorsteps.
He added that the new year would be the year of local government and once local bodies were formed, new development initiatives would begin.
