Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) generating annual revenue of Rs 940 million against an expenditure of Rs 1 billion, under the salary head only, is severely squeezed to meet civic responsibilities of the population growing at six percent rate every year, said its administrator Rauf Akhter Farooqui. Addressing a reception organized by Pakistan Tannery Association (South) on Wednesday, he said Karachi with the highest population growth in the country is exposed to a three percent population influx from abroad.
This accumulated total of six percent increase in the population, he said is not being corresponded by resource generation, hence, surmounting pressure on available infrastructure and surge in problems faced by citizens as well as the administration. He said a pragmatic approach is needed to solve the problems coupled with serious and meaningful debate as how to address the situation.
KMC Administrator said Chief Minister of Sindh and the Minister for Local Bodies are fully committed to solve the problems faced by the citizens yet the growing needs of the ever increasing number of people in the city are a serious challenge. "The situation demanded a special development package by the Federal Government," said Rauf Akhter Farooqui.
The taxes paid by the traders and business community of the city constituted 70 percent of the revenue contributed by the cosmopolitan to the national exchequer. "We, therefore, must particularly solve the problems of the local industrialists and businessmen as they are a major contributor to help city as well as the country to meet the needs," said the KMC administrator.
He, however, regretted that unchecked population influx followed by emergence of land mafia, encroachers, water tanker and hydrants' mafia and so-forth is adding to the difficulties of the Karachi administration. "It is because of our best of efforts against heavy odds that things are attempted to be controlled and people provided services despite grave difficulties," he said. The administrator elaborated his claim and said KMC through its chain of 450 schools in providing education to thousands of children for annual fees of Rs 10 per child.
Similarly KMC is said to be providing almost free of cost medical facilities also to a significant majority of Karachiites through its clinics and hospitals, including a 1,400 bedded Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where patients are provided three time meals along with required treatment and medication for almost no cost.
The annual fees for students at KMC run Karachi Medical and Dental College is Rs 1,200 as compared to Rs 600,000 for similar training at private medical colleges, he said. Attention has also been paid towards infrastructure development through construction of flyovers, thoroughfares and so-forth, said KMC administrator mentioning that funds are needed to meet the ever growing expenditure under the head of essential needs of citizens.