The issue of poor cleanliness and sanitary conditions in Sindh province echoed in the Sindh assembly on Tuesday and several members criticised the performance of Sindh local government department.
Leader of the opposition Muhammad Shaharyar Khan Mahar tabled a private resolution in the assembly demanding of the Sindh government to ensure that funds provided to the town municipal administrations (TMAs) should be utilised for the purpose they are meant for.
Speaking on the resolution, he said 30 to 40 per cent of the total budget of the provincial government of Sindh was spent on the local government department, but despite this huge budget the problems of common man regarding cleanliness and municipal sanitary were not being solved. He said the state of garbage lifting and drainage was very poor. He said the government ministers were more interested in photo sessions than actually solving the cleanliness-related issues. He said he personally submitted an application to improve sanitary conditions in his constituency three months back but still no action was taken.
He said local bodies elections were necessary to solve the local government-related issues. He said the people of Sindh were cursing the government. He said the government ministers evaded responsibility on the pretext that they resumed charge six months back or so, and before them these portfolio were given to some other ministers. “You are the government and you should take the responsibility of governance,” he opined.
Muhammad Hussain Khan of MQM said this was very important issue and the situation in the local government department is really worrisome. He said almost every locality and every house face the problem of overflowing drainage water. He said the local government institutes are present, but not the elected representatives to run them. He said the government officers cannot run the local bodies as they have no concern about the problems of people at grassroots level. He said it needs local councilors who know the problem of every street and every house. He regretted that from the year 2006 till to date Sindh is being run without elected local government representatives. He said the only solution of this issue is that the Sindh government announces holding local bodies’ elections as soon as possible.
Zaffar Ahmed Kamali of the MQM said it was a fact that the funds of local government department were not being used properly. He said the whole province was suffering due to lack of cleanliness. He said: “Local bodies institutes are being run by bureaucrats who are not serving the citizens. It needs to hold local bodies’ elections to boost the participatory democracy. Today the whole province is braving the consequences of delaying local government elections. At a number of places gutter water is running freely in streets and citizens have erected small cement embankments in front of their doors to stop the water entering their houses.”
Nand Kumar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) supported the resolution. He said it was a matter of shame the way government funds were being misappropriated.
Rafique Ahmed Banbhan of the PML-F also talked about misappropriation of funds and issues of cleanliness in big cities of the province.
Sindh Local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon admitted that such problems did exist in the province but the government was making all attempts to solve them. He said nazims in the era of Gen Pervez Musharraf destroyed the whole local governments. “In principle 40 per cent local government funds should be spent on salaries and 60 per cent on development schemes; however, unfortunately this is not the case. We are not able to pay salaries to local government employees on time due to over-employment in past years on the basis of political nepotism. For improving the working of local government bodies, I have already given powers to commissioners and deputy commissioners.” He said 40 per cent of solid waste was being lifted now from Karachi and encroachments were being removed as well.
However, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Sikandar Mandhro opposed the resolution saying it was a misconception that the government funds were not utilised for the purposes that they were meant for. He asserted that the government funds were being spent judicially.
The chair put the resolution before the House but the same was rejected on the basis of majority.
