More "decentralisation of power" needs to be introduced in the local body system of the future, whatever form it takes. Whatever changes are proposed in the local body system, as they are under discussion in the core committee of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), one thing is clear that more power would be devolved in the new system.
This was said by Karachi City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal while addressing a "meet the press" programme, organised at Karachi Press Club (KPC), here on Wednesday. He said that the proposed administrators would have to complete the ongoing development works of City District Government Karachi (CDGK), as the citizens would reject those who did not perform well
He said that there should be a unity of command in the 18 million-populated city, where almost 13 bosses were heading the city affairs separately, to handle the municipal services.
The city's civic issues under different heads were creating immense problems in the execution of the municipal services projects, he added. He said that renovation and construction works at Boultan market were not halted in practical, instead the CDGK has postponed the construction work in a protest over the sidelining of CDGK in the process of disposal of federal government's allocated funds to the affected traders.
While viewing the development works, which have been completed during the last four years, Kamal said that the present city government has completed more development works than any previous administration in the last 58 years, however, many civic related problems are yet to be resolved.
"As development is an ongoing phenomenon, which needs to continue at every stage, Karachi needs unstoppable maintenance and infrastructural development works," he added. The newly constructed roads, flyovers, underpasses, water and sewerage lines and other infrastructures, were the outcomes of the realisation that the development in the city is meant the development of the whole country, Nazim said.
He said CDGK has sanctioned Signal Free Corridor-V from Suhraab Goth to MA Jinnah Road, after almost completing the work on four corridors, which would resolve almost 80 percent traffic related problems in the city. To facilitate the pedestrians, CDGK would also complete work on 300 pedestrian bridges at various busy roads and corridors, he maintained.
He further said that the government has also ensured supply of water for the first time to, at least, 40 to 50 per cent areas of the city, which had no system of water supply and sewerage lines for the last over 50 years. In reply to a query, Kamal said that the local government is currently facing hardships in releasing salaries of its thousands of employees for the shortfall in the funds, which it receives from the Sindh government. He, however, denied the stoppage of any development project because of the financial constrains.
He thanked the media, which played a pivotal role for highlighting the issues and problems of the city in an effective manner, which helped the CDGK to resolve them on priority bases.
While accepting the demands of KPC, the City Nazim announced that the boundary wall at the area allocated for the club's members at Hawksbay Scheme-42 of Lyari Development Authority (LDA). However, he said that the proposed park at the site could not be developed until the water supply to the area has been ensured.
The 60 per cent work on water supply project for the area has already been completed with the investment of Rs 720 million and it would be completed within next two months. The construction work on the proposed park, he said, would be started soon after completing the new line being installed, which would supply at least two million gallon fresh water to the area.
Earlier, the City Nazim was briefed by Muhammad Imtiaz Faran, President KPC, and A.H Khanzada, secretary general, KPC, about various issues related to the club and its members specially the infrastructure development of the housing scheme at Hawksbay. The governing body of club, later, presented Sindhi Ajrak and shield to the Nazim.