Despite crunch, petrol allowance of KMC employees raised

Karachi

Despite a major financial crisis the KMC administrator Laiq Ahmed has increased the petrol quota of KMC officers, after the employees had requested him to do so in a meeting last Friday.

According to an official statement issued by KMC, Grade 20 officers would be given 300 litres, Grade 19 would get 180 litres, Grade 18 would get 150 litres and Grade 17 would receive 100 litres. The Grade 16 employees who use motorbikes would be given 60 litres while other employees would receive 45 litres. The KMC Financial adviser Rehan Khan said current fiscal year would comprise of a small budget.  

With charged parking department taken away from KMC, the current mayor, Waseem Akhtar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will not have a lot of income flowing in when he takes charge because the biggest income generating source departments, local taxes, education and health have also been devolved and are now with six DMCs. As per the recent order by Supreme Court regarding the removal of billboards will also cause impediments in earning money because they earned billions of rupees each year. The KMC used to generate Rs 60 million from local taxes per year but now this income to KMC has halted. The works and services departments is likely to be taken by the Sindh government major department of the same area which makes flyovers and bridges.

The mayor taking charge will have very few departments under him namely fire brigade, sports and recreation, katchee abadi and state departments which include all markets of the city including Saddar Empress Market and 18 major roads of the city. The mentioned departments were all only liabilities, a senior KMC officer said, and the mayor would have very less to generate income from and would end up turning to Sindh government for funds. The Sindh government gives grant of Rs50 crore per year to KMC but now KMC could practically face a crunch.