Bottlenecks: Administrative and legal uncertainties continue to mar KMC’s revival

The delay in the appointment of KMC administrators thwarts development work.

KARACHI:

The revival of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has led to a number of administrative uncertainties. The most recent sector affected by the changes has been development work.

Municipals services and development work has stopped as the KMC sorts through the appointment of administrators. Names were announced on Wednesday but the appointments were withdrawn in just two hours.

Officials and contractors involved in development work have stopped routine work during the transition of administration. Contractors have refused to continue work because they fear that their outstanding and current bills may remain unsettled.

They said that when the KMC and Karachi Development Authority (KDA) were devolved to the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) in the past, their outstanding bills were not settled.

Some officials are also questioning the authority of the commissioner in controlling the KMC. A former EDO, on the condition of anonymity, told The Express Tribune that Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Hussein Syed does not have the authority to issue directives to the local bodies because his services are mainly linked to the revenue department. The official said that the commissioner can only take charge of administrative matters, after the provincial government gives him full authority of the KMC.

There are also legal problems regarding the authority of the commissioner, according to a legal expert of the defunct CDGK. The expert claimed that though the government had restored the Sindh Local Government Ordinance 1979, which has revived the KMC and the KDA, there was still a vacuum in administrative authority. Since the KDA Order 1957 was repealed by the KDA Order 2002, the expert said that the government has to repeal the latter with a new order and appoint a director general of the body.

The expert also claimed that the delay in appointing administrators and repealing the KDA order 2002 is a deliberate political manoeuvre to minimize spending of the budget which had been recently presented by the CDGK before its dissolution.

In the last few days, several decisions have been made regarding the new administration (many of which have been subsequently annulled). The commissioner issued an office order on Friday, announcing names and designations of Deputy Commissioners (DC) and others. Syed Mustafa Jamal Qazi was named South DC, Matanat Ali Khan as Central DC, Shoukat Hussein Jokhio as East DC, Qazi Jan Mohammad as West DC. Former EDO for municipal services Masood Alam has been placed in charge for public complaints and Zahid Hussain has been assigned to oversee the control room.

It is expected that Altaf Memon, the former executive district officer, works and services department, may be appointed as the KMC administrator.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 16^th, 2011.