Local governance: Sukkur municipal officers demand offices, furniture

Water and drainage project to solve issues of residents, says mayor

SUKKUR: Officials of Sukkur Municipal Corporation (SMC) demanded offices, furniture and staff for their respective union councils.

The officials attended the second meeting of the SMC in a tent within the premises of the municipal corporation. It was chaired by Sukkur mayor Arsalan Shaikh. All the chairmen and vice-chairmen of 26 union councils of SMC attended the meeting and pointed out that they should be provided with offices and furniture.

Hearing their demands, Shaikh allowed the chairmen, who don't have offices, to hire offices on rent, which will be paid by the SMC.

The local bodies system has been revived after eight years and therefore everything is in shambles, he remarked. After the revival, the salaries of the staff members are being disbursed on regular basis, he claimed.

A mega project for water supply and drainage has been approved with the estimated cost of Rs4.7 billion, he said. After its completion in 2018, the residents of Sukkur will get potable water and drainage issues will be resolved for once and all, he added.  The meeting also revealed that many signboards have been installed in the city without the permission of a competent authority, due to which SMC has been deprived of revenues.

UC 9 chairman Umar Bandhani claimed that the land grant department of the SMC is involved in massive corruption. Its inspector continues to encourage encroachments on the footpaths and municipal land, he alleged.

Footpaths near Dolphin Chowk have been occupied by different eateries, he said, adding that a huge municipal bungalow and thirty quarters have also been illegally occupied and the land grant department is doing nothing.

The female members, elected on reserved seats, demanded pick and drop facility for them while some of them even demanded a separate car.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2017.