KMC, DMC employees’ dues of Rs10.5bn being cleared, says Wahab

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) is clearing the long outstanding dues of Rs10.5 billion of its retired officers and other employees, along with the employees of district municipal corporations (DMCs).

A total of 763 employees who had retired from service between 2011 and 2017 were paid more than Rs500 million on Thursday, and this process will continue. “We don’t want to do politics of discrimination and criticism,” Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab said at the dues distribution ceremony. He said the Pakistan Peoples Party is for the people and would continue to serve the people.

He also said that charged parking is not a function of the Karachi Development Authority, and that the matter of K-Electric collecting the KMC’s municipal utility charges is stuck in court. The KMC is losing revenue due to the court’s stay order, he added.

Wahab said they paid off the debts that were not due on them. “The arrears of the officers and employees are their right to receive.” He said the cabinet has approved a package of Rs1.4 billion to pay the dues of KMC employees. “I’ll request the chief minister to provide this money soon so that more retired officers and employees can be paid.”

He claimed that within three and a half years, the people of Karachi would see their city developing, with the municipal resources being used in a better way. The mayor said that work is under way on several development projects. He said the Malir Expressway is a big project, and after its completion the people of the city would get an alternative route to Sharea Faisal. He said a flyover is being built on the Korangi Causeway.

He also said a drain is being constructed in Scheme 33, a sewerage system is being upgraded in Essa Nagri, and a scheme for the old Quaidabad Poultry bridge’s development is being made in which another four-lane bridge would be constructed, then an eight-lane bridge would be available for traffic.

Wahab said the city council has passed a resolution regarding Eidul Azha. He said the implementation of this resolution would bring Rs500 million to Rs600 million to the KMC in revenue. He added that they have parking space at the Boulton Market, but the court case has been pending for 25 years, due to which the KMC can neither earn revenue from the market nor provide parking facilities to people.

He also said that over 300 vehicles can be parked at the parking lot, adding that it is a KMC property worth billions but the income from it is zero. The mayor said that some people connected with the mafia hinder the KMC’s income, which needs to be improved for building parks, cleaning drains, installing street lamps, and constructing bridges and flyovers.

Replying to a question, he said a family used to live on an 80-yard plot in the old city area or at Ram Swami, but now six-storey buildings have been erected there, affecting the sewage system in the area.

Sewage is discharged through 19 pumping stations, he added. “I have requested the government to exempt these pumping stations from load-shedding. The city’s condition will get better if civic bodies are allowed to work freely. We’re committed to making Karachi even better.”

Also present on the occasion were Municipal Commissioner SM Afzal Zaidi, Peoples Labour Bureau Karachi President Aslam Samoon, Mayor’s Spokesman for Political Affairs Karamullah Waqasi, Deputy Parliamentary Leader Dil Muhammad, Juman Darwan, KMC Financial Adviser Imtiaz Abro, Welfare Director Mahmood Baig, local leaders and heads of various KMC

departments.