KWSB MD gets 20-year-old local sedan

Subordinates, junior officials roam around in SUVs, double-cabin pickups

KARACHI:

Is it gender bias or lack of power that the managing director of city's top civic agency, the Karachi Water and Sewerage (KWSB) has been allocated a 20-year-old locally assembled sedan, whereas her subordinates go about in latest model SUVs worth millions of rupees.

As per sources, KWSB MD Farida Salam is tight lipped if she chose to be modest in utilising the resources of the already cash-strapped civic body always under fire for failing to deliver enough water and cleaning the sewers.

KWSB is infamous for irregularities of millions of rupees worth of petrol and diesel and valuable government vehicles reported in the media. The wanton plunder of taxpayer money is such that low grade officers are roaming around in brand new SUVs, double-cabin pickups, and other valuable vehicles.

However, the board gives its managing director a rickety old sedan.

Credible sources in KWSB confirmed that dozens of grade 16 and 17 officers are not only enjoying expensive government vehicles due to alleged political patronage and influence, but are also consuming petrol and diesel worth millions of rupees on monthly basis. According to sources, vehicles and petrol are being issued illegally to more than 50 lower grade employees.

Sources further revealed that there are 30 to 40 officers who are keeping more than two vehicles among them most are project officers.

According to sources, most of such employees belong to finance, accounts, computer and audit departments who have only office work and no fieldwork. Even so, they are using the valuable vehicles of the department. On the other hand, many senior engineers and field officers are deprived of this facility despite the need and privilege.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2022.