IMC session: Baboos want to derail LG system, allege members

Demand forming body to summon recalcitrant CDA officials

ISLAMABAD: Local representatives have alleged that bureaucrats wanted to derail the local government system in Islamabad.

“The bureaucracy wants to derail the local government system in Islamabad. A privileged committee must be formed to summon the disobedient officers if they did not pay attention to the issues identified by local representatives,” said Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Deputy Chairman Ali Nawaz Awan while speaking at the IMC second session on Wednesday.

Islamabad Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz, who chaired the session held at the Pak-China Centre, lent his support to the suggestion, while other members from both the aisles, who spoke after Awan, also echoed his words.

The members complained that Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials were not listening to them in resolving public problems.

The Islamabad mayor lamented that while the IMC was waiting for funds from the federal government, the CDA has completely stopped providing civic services.

He said that water scarcity was a major and an old issue facing Islamabad. He held the CDA responsible for the sorry state of affairs of the departments, which have now been transferred to the IMC.

Aziz said that the most terrible departments had been transferred to the IMC while the civic agency had retained the ‘good ones’.   He vowed to improve the performance of the awful departments.

“We have taken water issue as a challenge which would be resolved soon. Around Rs60 million has been taken from the CDA and given to the water directorate to improve condition of tankers and other equipment,” Aziz said.

He hoped that the federal government will soon release Rs10 billion to the IMC in non-development grants.

Aziz said that there were people in the CDA and in the bureaucracy who did not want to see the local government system run successfully.

The members said that nine months have passed but they were working without funds.

Aziz said that he will verify how many employees were working in each department before they were transferred to the IMC as there were rumours about ghost employees in many CDA departments.

The members also demanded that the Islamabad Electric Supply Company should be asked to end discrimination against rural areas and provide equal power supply to them.

Aziz also invited suggestions from the members regarding preparation and celebration of Independence Day. He vowed to observe the Independence Day with zeal and enthusiasm this year. A committee was also formed to make arrangements and look after programmes in this regard.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2016.