Corporation session: IMC wants permanent CMO

Seeks greater control of kiosks in capital, early release of budget

ISLAMABAD: Members of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Tuesday demanded that a permanent Chief Metropolitan Officer (CMO) be appointed.

During the ninth session of the Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation, held at the Pak-China Friendship Centre, elected representatives in the city government deliberated over six agenda items including issues relating to installation of kiosks in Islamabad, attaching the Islamabad Capital Territory  Local Government assistant director with the IMC to resolve the issues of union councils, federal grants for ICT union councils, graveyard issues in union councils 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48, review of the IMC house committee, and the status of the corporation’s budget.

The meeting was told that 485 legal kiosks will be set up in Islamabad. The UC chairmen proposed that they should have control of the kiosks. They also supported the idea that rent for these kiosks should be increased.

After detailed discussions on the matter, Aziz announced that a committee consisting of house members will be constituted to look into the issues in detail and submit a comprehensive report in the house. After reviewing the report, a decision will be taken in consultation with members.

Earlier, a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member suggested that a permanent CMO must be appointed at the IMC. The idea received unanimous support from both sides of the aisle.

Members also severely criticised Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials and said that it had become ‘corruption development authority’.

The house members were of the opinion that the IMC directorate for municipal administration should be abolished.

The members also discussed the IMC’s budget.

Aziz told the house that the federal government had approved a Rs2.6 billion budget for IMC for the fiscal year 2016-17.

“Efforts are being made to get an allocation of the development budget for IMC from the federal government,” Aziz said, adding that he hoped that the development budget would be approved soon.

The IMC members also deliberated on the issue of graveyard for different union councils of Islamabad. On this, the mayor said union councils 44 through 48 had been granted permission to use the CDA graveyard in H-11. The chairmen of the union councils were asked to ensure compliance with the rules for using graveyards.

The local government representatives also deliberated on encroachments. Aziz said that addressing encroachments was their collective responsibility.

“IMC has been working hard to overcome encroachment and has been pushing high-rises and housing societies hard to honour the code of conduct,” the mayor said, adding that efforts were underway to push housing societies to comply with their original plans, where plots had been reserved for graveyards, playgrounds, mosques and other facilities.

“Legal proceedings are in progress against violators,” he said.

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