A group of villages (5-23) form a Union Council (UC), the basic administrative unit in the rural area. The members of the UC (Councillors) are elected by ballot on the basis of adult franchise with an average of one Councillor for every 1,000 residents. The Councillors elect one of their members as a Chairman and hold regular meeting at least once a month under his chairmanship. There are 12 Union Councils presently in rural Islamabad with a Secretary in each Union Council.
The Union Council's various functions. Aside from the routine work of general administrative affairs, the UC undertakes, if necessary, the provision, maintenance, improvement and management of public structures such as roads, streets, culverts, bridges, public buildings, gardens and playgrounds, etc., as well as formulation of union development programme, promotion of various cooperative associations, and approving projects to be constructed by the UC, especially with regard to educational and medical facilities, water supply system, sanitation and farm roads.
The Union Council incorporates the development programme various schemes into the draft budget for the subsequent fiscal year and submit it to the Deputy Commissioner/Project Director LG&RD Islamabad. The Deputy Commissioner subsequently refers these schemes to the Rural Area Coordination Committee for coordination among the Union Councils in the area in terms of their planning and implementation. Priority of the schemes is given by R.A.C.C.
At present the working of Union Councils are being looked after by the Administrators appointed by the Chief Commissioner.
Necessary details in respect each Union Council is narrated below for perusal.

S.NO.    Name of Union Council    Population    Area (Acres)
1.    Tarlai             32,756        7411
2.    Kirpa            12,114        7436
3.    Kuri            16,999        7660
4.    Phulgran            22,234        18992
5.    Shah Allah Ditta        10,267        6983
6.    Cherah            20,979        11843
7.    Koral            24,008        14685
8.    Rewat            31,360        9716
9.    Tumair            12,114        14694
10.    Sihala            25,532        14978
11.    Bhara Kau        39,650        10455
12.    Sohan            17,292        4433
                 265,305        129286

Rural Area Coordination Committee (RACC)
Rural Area Coordination Committee (RACC) mainly coordinates the activities of all Union Councils and of all Government and Semi-Government Departments or institutions in the rural area of ICT. The RACC is a local government institution at the district level and consists of all the elected chairman of the 12 Union Councils, and ex-officio members such as representatives from CDA, WAPDA, A.E.S. Departments and heads of various other nation building departments, including engineers and directors.
RACC coordinates agreement between various government and semi-government departments and Union Councils. It also coordinates planning and implementation of local development schemes for each fiscal year, as well as various other activities. When a unanimous decision can not be obtained at a meeting, the 12 elected chairman of Union Councils settle the issue by vote.
At present the Deputy Commissioner, ICT is looking after the working of RACC as Administrator.

Robbers gun down man in Bhara Kahu

Robbers in limits of Bhara Kahu Police Station gunned down a 22-year-old man in Shahdara on Thursday.

According to Police, Muhammad Qasim Khan, a resident of NLP colony went to Shahdara along with his friend Ibrahim. Qasim’s friend allegedly shot him dead and ran away. Police shifted the body to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for autopsy. Later, police arrested the accused. Ibrahim has given statement that he and Qasim were in Shahdara when three persons snatched their money. Qasim offered resistance for which they fired three bullets, one bullet hit him on chest.

In separate incident, Tarnol Police raided a gambling hideout at Dera Zaidi Shah in Chistiabad and arrested seven gamblers Shaukat, Nazeer, Gul Muhammad, Sher Muhammad, Matiullah, Amjad and Sajid. Police also recovered Rs 80,000, five cellphones, two pistols, one car and a television.

Islamabad Police DIG Binyamin said that police had busted a gang of eight members that used to snatch valuables from families especially coming from abroad. Addressing a press conference, he said police had recovered cellphones, cameras, jewellery and other valuables but police did not mention the value of the recovered items.

Energy saving campaign

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has decided to launch a pilot project in the rural areas of Islamabad and approved Local Government and Rural Development Department’s six water supply schemes, which would be run by the solar energy.

Under the project, in the second phase all water supply projects will be switched over from electricity to solar energy.

According to the sources, the conversion of six schemes to solar energy will not only save Rs 14.4 million per year being paid as electricity bill of the district administration, but it will also contribute to energy saving campaign.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed told a meeting that the ICT Local Government and Rural Development Department had prepared a pilot project under which it has been decided to initially run six water supply schemes by the solar energy.

The motor turbines of these schemes will be run by the solar energy and the project would save Rs 200,000 per month, being incurred on each water supply scheme.

The total saving of expenditures through the six water supply schemes will stand at Rs 1200,000 per month, he added. Ahmed said the administration would seek the services and technical expertise of Alternate Energy Development Board for monitoring and execution of the pilot scheme. He said the pilot project was likely to be run successfully and the administration would switch over the remaining 65 water supply schemes from electricity to solar energy system. He said it was estimated that the union councils would be able to save Rs 6500,000 to Rs 7000,000 per month being incurred on the electricity bills of these schemes.

He said presently several water supply schemes were non-functional due to non-payment of electricity bills by the local water users committees. He said introducing of solar energy system would make these water supply schemes functional and efficient, as no electricity bills would be involved.

Islamabad police to get Rangers’ help for Youm-al-Quds security

Keeping in view Lahore and Karachi terror incidents, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police have decided to get Rangers’ assistance to ensure foolproof security on Youm-al-Quds.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amer Ali Ahmed and Senior Superintendent of Police Tahir Alam Khan on Thursday directed all police officials to ensure strict security at all mosques, imambargahs and entry and exit points of the city. 

According to spokesman for ICT administration, the ICT administration held a meeting with religious scholars on Thursday. Islamabad DC presided over the meeting, which was also attended by senior police officers. After the meeting the SSP directed all sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) and station house officers (SHOs) to improve the security plan and ensure checking of every person with metal detector at mosques and imambargahs in their respective jurisdictions.

He also directed police to specify parking areas away from mosques and imambargahs and ensure strict patrolling to keep a vigilant eye on suspected persons.

He ordered strict compliance of the security plan and launch a special campaign against the professional beggars and not to allow them gather outside the worship places.

The police officials were also directed to carry out special checking of hotels, motels, inns and guesthouses for security purpose. 

The SSP asked to direct property dealers to furnish the record of tenants to the head of their respective police stations. Moreover, he directed police to intensify checking at the exit and entry points of the city without causing any inconvenience to the citizens.

Similarly, he directed police to enhance patrolling in various areas to exercise strict vigilance.

All the SDPOs and SHOs were directed to personally supervise the security arrangements and ensure the deployment of police officials or private security guards wherever it was necessary. The SSP said no laxity in this regard would be tolerated.

Alam has also directed senior police officials to brief the policemen deputed for security purpose and maintain high vigilance.