Sindh yet to release funds for salary increment of KMC employees: mayor

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Tuesday said the Sindh government had not released funds for 15 per cent increment in salaries of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) employees announced in the Budget 2019-20, whereas 5,591 retired staffers had been waiting for their dues since 2015.

Addressing the KMC’s finance department officers, the mayor said there was a shortfall of Rs165 million in the head of the employees’ salaries and pensions every month. Senior director coordination Masood Alam, financial advisor Riaz Khatri, director welfare Mehmood Baig, law adviser Azra Muqeem and other officials were present on the occasion.

Even the doctors and paramedics combating the COVID-19 from the front line at hospitals under the KMC’s administrative control were deprived of increment, he said. "I have approached Prime Minister Imran Khan and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah for many times but to no avail," he added.

He said the retired employees, including the elderly, the sick and the women “daily visit the KMC office with a hope to get their dues cleared but go back without getting anything as there is a shortage of funds with the KMC”.

"They served Karachi and Pakistan for so many years and now struggling for their dues. It should not have happened with them,” he said. The mayor said the shortfall in salaries was covered with revenue every month but now there no almost no revenue due to the lockdown. “The KMC employees, especially the health workers, rescue workers, firefighters, are performing their duties with courage even during the pandemic,” he said.

He was of the view that the issue of employees’ salaries was put up before the chief minister during a meeting in which he assured him to sign the summary at the earliest. "We have to pay Rs3.35 billion to the retired employees who have been waiting for their dues since 2015.”

He directed the finance department to take measures for increasing revenue of the department, adding that the municipal services bill should also be collected from the citizens.

In the meeting, they discussed the preparation for the next year's budget. The meeting participants were told that the last year's development schemes could not be completed on time due to the shortage of funds.

“The amount should be allocated for completion of last year's schemes,” the mayor said. The participants were informed that the UC Chairmen and the head of KMC’s different departments had also suggested schemes of roads and sewerage for their areas. “New schemes for the KMC's Parks Department, the General Administration, the Municipal Utility and others will be incorporated in the budget 2019-20,” the meeting was told.