PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar have criticised the government for `inequitable` distribution and gradual decrease in local government funds in the province.

They demanded `rightful` funds for local bodies to help them smoothly execute development schemes and their complete empowerment.

The event titled `promoting equity in budgets and governance analysis of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from financial year 2015-16 to 201617` was organised by the Omar Asghar Khan Foundation, a civil society organisation, at the Peshawar Press Club on Wednes day.

Civil society activists, financial and legal experts, and representatives of local governments from Peshawar, Nowshera, Abbottabad, Haripur and Mansehra and other parts of the province attended the seminar.

Noted among speakers were ANP MPA from Swat Syed Jaffar Shah, PML-N MPA from Abbottabad Amna Sardar and OAKF executive director Rashida Dohad.

Ms Dohad of the OAKF said theKhyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act 2013 had promised the allocation of 30 percent of its development budget for local bodies but on the contrary, the government had decreased funds during the last twofiscals.

She said the provincial government had allocated 29 per cent of development funds for local governments in the financial year 2015-16 and 26.9 per cent in the current fiscal. The OAKF executive director said the government had given only 2.72 per cent share to southern dis-tricts under the Provincial Financial Commission (PFC) compared to 21 per cent to three districts, including Nowshera, Tank and Battagram.

She demanded equitable distribution of funds to all district governments under the PFC.

Ms Dohad complained about the allocation of blocked funds in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and said discretionary funds had sharply increased during the last four years.

She called for the immediate withdrawal of such funds.

The OAKF executive directorsaid the transparent and equitable distribution of funds could bring positive changes to the local government system in KP.

She suggested that the government impose moratorium on the districts, which had already taken a hugechunkoffundsunderthePFC.

MPA Syed Jaffar Shah said he would highlight the OAKF`s observations on the budget in the provincial assembly.

He demanded legitimate funding to improve the local government system in the province.

He criticised the government over failure to completely use development funds during the last three and a half years.

MPA Amna Sardar said she would raise her voice for the rights of local governments on the floor of the house. She criticised the government over the inequitable distribution of funds for local bodies and a huge reduction in them.

The MPA demanded equal share in funds for all district nazims under the PFC.

Later, a separate session on women and peace was held.

Qaumi Watan Party MPA Meraj Humayun Khan was noted among speakers.