Political influence rules the roost in KMC

Political influence rules the roost in the departments of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) as the contracts of politically backed blue-eyed workers are only being renewed against the merits, sources told Business Recorder. Sources said contractual staff members of the Machinery Pool workshop, Malaria Control Programme and others were running from pillar to post to get their contracts renewed.
"KMC's officials are indifferent to renew the contracts of field workers such as drivers and sweepers due to new policy adopted by the KMC that it will only renew the contracts of 20 percent employees on merit basis," sources said. "Some 53 workers of machinery pool department, 52 Urban Search and Rescue (USR), 6 land department, 16 works and services, 10 fire brigade department and 100 other employees are still waiting for renewal of their annual contracts," sources told this correspondent.
"KMC do not have merits to review the performance of the contractual employees, only favourite employees are being entertained under the garb of merit. If KMC want to reduce the contractual staff it should not renew the contractual employees working in the offices," said a KMC senior employee. When contacted, President of Sajjan Union Syed Zulfiqar Shah said that citizens would suffer if contracts of the said employees were not renewed. He warned that workers would stage protest with trucks carrying garbage at the Civic Center.
Recently, KMC has awarded new contracts to 15 fire fighters, 22 workers of Malaria Control programme and 30 employees of Municipal Services Department. Sources said contracts of some 1,800 employees working in different departments of KMC would be expired within next two to three months. They feared that there would be big chaos when only favourite employees get their contracts renewed while others suffer under the guise of '80 percent reduction policy.