Govt halts KMC’s announcement of vacancies

It is not allowed to advertise vacant positions without higher approval, says govt

KARACHI: The government of Sindh has once again challenged the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) authority over its decision to appoint officers for the vacant posts of Grade-1 to Grade-15, renewing the conflict that has been brewing between the two for months.

After the printing of advertisements for the said posts, the provincial government declared all appointments by the KMC illegal, asking it to do away with the entire hiring process.

The provincial government took notice of job advertisements published by the KMC, prohibiting it from filling the posts with newly hired persons. "According to the Local Government Act 2013, the Karachi mayor has no authority to make direct appointments in the KMC. He [the mayor] acted beyond his authority and announced the vacancies in the department without prior approval from the provincial government," a spokesperson for the provincial government said, adding that the government makes a regular monthly grant for the existing employees of the KMC and until the availability of funds for the salaries is increased, no further appointments will be allowed.



Speaking about the issue, KMC Municipal Commissioner Dr Asghar Abbas said that a letter regarding the vacancies was sent to the provincial government on December 19 but they received no response. "We are now in possession of a letter from the Sindh government asking us to stop the recruitment process," he said, adding that the KMC has duly followed the government’s instructions. "We will not make any appointments until we have approval from the provincial government," he vowed.

Senior officers of the KMC, however, were not as sanguine about the situation as Dr Abbas. They said announcement for new vacancies was unjustified. "The KMC is facing a shortfall of over Rs50 million for its salaries every month, which may increase if further appointments are made," an officer said, adding that the department cannot bear a toll on its expenditures at the moment.

According to reports, the KMC has vacancies for 900 workers while 700 of the existing staff are hired on contractual basis. Authorities are of the view that the vacant positions will first be filled by contractual workers who have been serving in the organisation for years before any new employees are hired.

According to sources, an otherwise legitimate appointment has fallen prey to foul planning and the approach of Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar. "He [Wasim Akhtar] has made these appointments controversial. Had he consulted his seniors before the announcement, we would not have to face such a situation," the officers lamented.