Uncertainties over local government system: several development projects shelved

Several development projects were shelved in the city after the Sindh government failed to make up its mind on the local government system, sources told this correspondent on Friday. They said that the frequent introduction and repealing of new local government systems in the city, apparently for gaining 'political mileage', also created reservations among global investors, hurting various uplift projects.
Besides, they said, employees of relevant departments also remained unpaid for two months, adding that changes in local government systems also perplexed officials of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, who were still clueless regarding their actual working parameters. The Sindh Assembly adopted the Sindh People Local Government Ordinance (SPLGO) of 2012 in last year after long deliberations between major coalition partners in the Sindh government. But after a very shot time the Sindh Assembly again reversed the SPLGO 2012 in February this year, restoring the Local Government Act of 1979.
Work on development projects, including Solid Waste Management Project, was also halted because of the frequent somersaults of the Sindh government over local bodies system. Sources said that work on Karachi Circular Railway Projects (KCR) could not be intitiated while work on Mehran Highway was also suspended because of the uncertain situation. Sources said that weak annual revenue collection coupled with hold ups of budgetary allocation by the Sindh government caused KMC's financial resources to dwindle, as a result the corporation's employees were deprived of their salaries for the past two months.
Sources said bureaucratic hurdles also impeded the timely release of salaries. On the other hand, garbage heaps in various areas of city lay unattended after inaction of District Municipal Corporations (DMCs) because of severe financial constraints, creating health hazards for the common man. Although the landfills in the city could absorb most of the daily waste produced by the city, hardly 40 per cent of the waste is collected on time because of lack of resources.