Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar said that Sindh Government has released only 50 percent of the total KMC's share of district ADP for the financial year 2018-19, putting additional monetary burden on the already ailing civic body. In a letter to the Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Mayor has demanded release of remaining Rs 2.5 billion funds out of the total Rs 5 billion district ADP share approved by the provincial finance department for FY18-19, with an immediate effect.
The provincial government has so far released Rs 2.5 billion for the ongoing schemes in the metropolis as against Rs 3.33 billion approved by the finance department. While not even a single penny has been disbursed for the new schemes (block allocation) despite the government had approved Rs 1.66 billion for the very purpose.
"The finance department has released the share of district ADP Rs 2.50 billion and also ADP share for the current financial year which is less than the share approved. Virtually the burden of short release of funds is shifted to the KMC other resources aggravating the already weak financial position. It is therefore imperative that the held up amount of Rs 2.50 billion is released at the earliest to relieve KMC from the financial crisis to some extent," the letter concluded.
A few days back, the Mayor expressed his department's inability to pay salaries of employees on the Eidul Fitr citing shortages of funds. Mayor said the provincial government withheld every month Rs 500 million funds generated and collected through Octroi, Zila Tax (OZT). He said that the share of OZT of KMC is Rs 1.17 billion but we get only Rs 590 million instead and the Sindh government curtailed about Rs 580 million each month from it in the name of mega projects.
A number of civic and municipal problems of the city would have been resolved if the municipal administration received funds from the provincial assembly. He alleged that the provincial government appeared least bothered in the development of the city.
On the other hand the Sindh government officials blame KMC for mismanaging the financial matters. According to them, the provincial government has released Rs 39 billion to KMC in last three years but no one knows where this huge amount was spent.
Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh Barrister Murtaza Wahab has recently said that his government has spent Rs 8 billion on the development of infrastructure of Karachi and improved Sharae Faisal, University Road, Hub River Road, Cantt Station Road, Clifton Flyover and Shaheed-i-Millat flyover.
On the other hand the Mayor said that KMC from its own resources collect Rs 1.2 billion revenue which it spends on the providing of municipal services like fire brigade, healthcare facilities in hospitals, maintenance of parks and grounds, zoo, safari park and maintenance of 22 major roads and for POL and oxygen for hospitals whereas its revenue resources were further devolved to other civic bodies which made KMC hard to bear its own expenditures.
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