Mchinji Council approves development projects
There was heated debate during the first full Mchinji District Council meeting this year on which projects needed to be approved by the council.
Members of the council who included councillors, Members of Parliament (MPs) and Traditional Authorities (T/As) could not agree on where to allocate part of the money in this year’s K193 million development budget for the district.
Some members especially Parliamentarians suggested that the money allocated for the renovation of the Council’s chamber Hall be allocated to other development projects in the district.
MP for Mchinji north Rachel Zulu argued that there were other pressing projects in the district which needed urgent attention and the renovation of the chamber was not an urgent issue.
Her remarks were collaborated by Member of Parliament for Mchinji North East Alex Chitete who said most projects in this year’s development budget were allocated to one constituency at the Boma in Mchinji west.
However, this did not go down with other two MP’s Deus Gumba, Mchinji South west and Billy Kanjira Banda Mchinji West who said Mchinji Boma was the centre of the district and it needed good infrastructure.
“As a border district with Zambia, Mchinji business centre needs good infrastructure such as good offices, this is not just for the constituency but for the whole district, we should learn from our neighbours in Chipata who have decent and good infrastructure as a border district,” he said.
However, the suggestion did not go down well with other members, notably parliamentarians who kept on arguing for some time accusing one another of letting more projects be in one constituency, which almost led to the meeting’s stalemate.
The council’s Chair Kennedy Chipanga saved the day when he suggested that the meeting approves all projects which were put in the 2015/2016 development plan by the council last year.
The meeting unanimously agreed and among other projects to be implemented by the Mchinji district council includes construction of a slaughter house, roads, bridges and street lights, taxi Port and council chamber rehabilitation.
In his opening remarks, Council Chair for Mchinji District called on members to seek clarification from the council’s secretariat to ensure that projects are conducted in a transparent manner.
He also appealed to the council’s secretariat to ensure that projects approved by the council finish on time
During the meeting Councillor for Mtope Ward Auleriano Kalemba who won in last year’s by elections was sworn in.
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The Boma requires tarred streets and street lights. Think of the potholed street to the DC office, the streets at the ma yards. They are all in dilapidated state ngati ku mudzi komwe.
Look at the streets along the shops at National Bank going down to the total garage- fumbi lokhalokha. Look at how filthy the market area is.It doesn’t matter if this whole area is in one constituency but it should be the no.1 priority.
ABanda nanga jekete timamanga chonchi?