CM House reacts to the press conference of mayor

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that those who believe in service to the people never made toll claims but remain busy in their work and keep exploring ways and means to deliver.

In a statement issued by CM House, says that the press conference addressed by Mayor Karachi on his 100-days cleanliness drive was manifestation of his failure to serve people of this city. “I think he is confused and doesn’t know where to start and how to start his work- this is termed as `one’s inability to understand the requirement of job and nature of job,” he said.

The chief minister House statement said that when he (mayor) failed to perform in his 100-day drive he felt it fit to put the onus of his failure on Sindh government. “This was the only way out he had,” he said and added that he has always supported him to serve the people of this city who suffered a lot at the hand of terrorists, extortionists and target killers.

The statement says that apart from giving OZT share to KMC, the government gives Rs500 million to KMC every month for payment of salaries to its `uncountable employees’ they have stuffed. Contrary to this, the mayor says he had no funds to pay salaries and pensions. The government has also given Rs5 billion to KMC for R&M of its roads etc.

In principle, the mayor should have concentrated on the payroll of KMC and have made a plan to rationalize it. He should also have focused on identifying ghost employees and removing them and have also audited its pension account to stop leakages, if any. The mayor should have also worked to explore ways and means to improve and enhance the resources of the KMC but sorry to say “he kept crying for 99 days of his drive and worked only for one day and that was also for photo session to launch the cleanliness drive,” the statement says.

The mayor has all the powers he should have but instead of making best utilization of his `functions' to serve the city and its people, he is beating about the bush because `he lacks the vision and the will to serve the people’, the statement says.

The powers for turning amenity plots into commercial and residential and then selling them in the broad daylight, the powers to construct unauthorized marriage halls on the government land and the authority to allow illegal settlements on the banks of storm water drains and the powers to make people of the city hijacked cannot be given to nay one at any cost. “We have restored the peace in the city after long sacrifices by police and Rangers and now nobody would be allowed to destroy it on one or the other pretext,” the CM’s statement says and adds “if you (mayor) really want to work, you have a great opportunity and space for the purpose and the government would be supporting you, and if you want to drain out your tenure as mayor than that is your choice,” the statement says.

The mayor has also criticized the Sehwan Taluka Hospital that it has only two doctors. “We would like to ask the mayor when he had last time visited Sehwan. Just to attract the attention of the media he issued a baseless flat statement. Sehwan has all the required facilities and the people of Sehwan, like other cities of the provinces are taken care of properly.

The mayor says that the government has a plan to defeat him in the next elections. “This surprising disclosure is only the product of his personal insecurity but as a matter of fact winning or losing elections depends upon one’s performance, his liaison with the people and winning their heart and soul with his personal care,” the chief minister quoted as said and added “People of Karachi know very well who serves them, who respects them and who understands their problems and strives to resolve them.”

The Chief minister also quoted as said that the mayor in his meeting with the chief minister in which Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro was also present was advised to prepare development schemes and get funds from the government but instead of making schemes he brought a simple list of schemes to get funds. The government funds cannot be released on lists but proper procedure is adopted to release them.   

The CM House statement says the Sindh government supports the mayor in discharging his functions but urges him to work for people who have elected him and stop his unnecessary hue and cry. “When you work selflessly, you would have no time to shed (crocodile) tears,” the statement concludes.