CM releases Rs88m to DMCs

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has released Rs88 million to three district municipal corporations (DMCs) and the District Council Karachi to get their machinery repaired and start cleanliness work, saying that the district where Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) is working will be activated further.

He said on Tuesday the SSWMB was working in three districts -- South, East and Malir -- and their cleanliness job rested with it.

This, the chief minister, said while presiding over a meeting to review the results of the month-long cleanliness drive that concluded on October 21.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Mumtaz Shah, provincial ministers Saeed Ghani, Syed Nasir Shah, adviser to CM Murtaza Wahab, Principal Secretary to CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Commissioner Karachi Iftikhar Shahalwani, Secretary Local Government Roshan Shaikh, MD SSWMB Asif Ikram, MD KWSB Asadulllah Khan, all deputy commissioners and the chairmen of DMCs.

He added that the districts of Korangi, West and Central, and District Council may be given funds to repair vehicles and related machinery so that they could start cleanliness of their areas.

He ordered the release of Rs17 million to Korangi, Rs22 million to West, Rs37 million to Central and Rs12 million to the Karachi District Council. Shah directed the SSWMB to take strict action against contracting firms if they failed to deliver.

“This is not a free of cost work but the provincial government is paying to contracting firms; therefore, cleanliness work must be upto the satisfaction of the citizens.”

He said that just after concluding the garbage- lifting drive, the contracting firms of the SSWMB went on strike. “This is a deliberate attempt to turn the city once again filthy and this is not acceptable at any cost,” he said and directed SSWMB MD Asif Ikram to take strict action against the contractors.

The chief minister, taking a policy decision, directed the DMCs to trickle down sweeping work and front-end collection upto Katchra Kundi to union council level so that monitoring and supervision could be made at the doorstep and easily.

“Union councils are small units and their chairmen and other concerned staff can ensure proper sweeping and cleaning of their areas easily,” he said. “I am assigning supervision work to the chairmen of DMCs.”