Local government: After eight-month delay, IMC becomes functional

Half of 49 departments transferred to IMC; municipal body to meet on June 27.

ISLAMABAD: The capital city’s elected representatives will finally meet on June 27, almost eight months after local government elections were held in November 2015, to take charge of the city and address its many issues.

The delay in calling a session of the municipal corporation and confusion over the distribution of power and revenue between the elected body and the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has created resentment among the elected councillors and the public.

Major issues such as health, water and sanitation remained unattended — something that also echoed in parliament this week.

MNAs from the opposition came down heavily on the government for neglecting the capital.

Feeling public and parliamentary angst, Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Dr Tariq Fazal Choudhry and Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Ansar Aziz had to call an emergency press conference to clarify the government’s position.

Addressing the media at the Press Information Department on Wednesday, the junior minister said that 23 out of 49 directorates and their functions have been handed over to the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation, while 26 departments will be shared by the IMC and the CDA.

The 23 directorates include health services, the 1122 emergency service, municipal administration, sports and culture, CDA Hospital, a model school, public health relation, security, IT, coordination, maintenance and quality control, bulk water management, sewerage, development, machine and road maintenance, sewage treatment plants, and sanitation.

Directorates including administration, HRD, law, labour, and public relations, IT and management, coordination and parliamentary business, maintenance, E&M maintenance, machinery pool, parks, environment protection cell, environment, enforcement, finance, audit, accounts revenue and treasury will be shared by the two bodies.

These would be transferred to the IMC in three months after a committee comprising the chief metropolitan officer and the CDA Administration director general work out the kinks.

The budget and finances of the directorates would be governed by provisions of the ICT Local Government Act.

The state minister said that the IMC had already taken up its budgetary requirements with the government.

He said that employees transferred to IMC shall continue to draw pay and allowances from the CDA till the end of FY 2016-17, however, if budgetary allocations to IMC are delayed by the government, CDA may continue to pay salaries to the transferred staff for another two months.

The CDA will recoup the expenditure from the IMC through the government. Until the transfer of functions, directorates, and formations is completed, the heads of all directorates are to ensure service delivery.

“We have tried to give maximum powers to IMC under section five,” the state minister said.

He added that from Wednesday, the IMC would be fully functional and people will see real change.

He said the CDA will now also work in rural areas and would narrow down the gap between the urban and rural populace.

Mayor Aziz said that he will work with coordination of all and vowed to make Islamabad a model city.

He said that water shortage was a major issue for the city and would be addressed as a top priority. He would work in coordination with ICT and CDA against illegal housing societies, Aziz added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2016.