96 HMC properties omitted during merger process

The head of the transition team has raised concerns over the omission of 96 properties belonging to the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) in the transition report. An official order has been issued to the relevant authorities to immediately furnish accurate details.

The merger of the local bodies departments of Qasimabad, Tando Jam, Hostri, and the District Council into the HMC, encompassing areas of the city and Latifabad, has been initiated. However, the process of consolidating both movable and immovable assets, staff, total job positions, and equipment from the dissolved local bodies into not only the HMC but also the newly formed nine towns remains incomplete.

To address these issues, a transition team was established to formulate recommendations for the consolidation and allocation of assets, personnel, and equipment. The Hyderabad administrative officer had submitted a list to the transition team, which included certificates from all heads of departments certifying the completeness and accuracy of the information provided by them in writing. They are responsible for ensuring that no information is missing or concealed.

Despite these assurances, the HMC's report omitted 96 crucial properties, including several markets with hundreds of shops. Fawad Ghaffar Soomro, chairman of the government-appointed transition team in Sindh, wrote a letter to the head of the Provincial Transition Cell of the Local Government Commission on September 1, highlighting the omission of these properties in the HMC report.

Read HMC mum on list of officers facing corruption charges

The transition team independently identified these 96 properties and provided evidence of their ownership by the HMC in their report. The letter also emphasises that appropriate action will be taken against the officers who provided verification certificates but failed to share details of these properties with the transition team.

Furthermore, the report suggests that any additional properties not initially included should also be considered in the distribution of assets.

Sources indicate that Fawad Ghaffar Soomro, as the administrator of HMC before the appointment of Administrator Muhammad Farooq Khan, had actively sought details of HMC's properties, both movable and immovable assets, employees, equipment, and machinery. During this period, some administrators had also attempted to gather comprehensive information. However, the incomplete report sent by the local body's administrative officer did not include details of many valuable properties.

As a municipal administrator, Fawad Ghaffar Soomro had personally inspected these properties and taken action, in collaboration with his team, to address encroachments in some areas. His inspections highlighted the omission of details concerning numerous valuable properties in the report submitted by the municipality to the transition team.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2023.