LG employees to get salaries in bank accounts: minister

Jumani urges public servants of civic bodies to cooperate with elected LG representatives

KARACHI:

Caretaker Minister for Local Government, Housing & Town Planning Muhammad Mubeen Jumani has emphasised that public servants bear significant responsibilities and play a crucial role in local body governance.

The officers of the local government departments and civic bodies have far greater knowledge of the working of the local bodies than the elected chairmen of various union councils and other local bodies' representatives, Jumani said stressing on cooperation of the institutions with the elected house.

A coordination committee of officers is set to be established to address their concerns, and Jumani assured support from the local government to boost fund generation in the towns, he said. Jumani was addressing a meeting with officers from Sindh Local Government Department Karachi Region, attended by Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi, and officers from across the towns.

During the meeting, Jumani outlined the ongoing initiatives. These initiatives include the implementation of a biometrics system for local bodies' employees and the direct transfer of their salaries to their bank accounts, aimed at enhancing transparency and eliminating ghost employees from the local body department.

The minister stressed the importance of officers and the elected representatives for adhering to law within their towns and Union Councils (UCs), encouraging collaboration among all institutions and towns to effectively carry out various public welfare projects.

Jumani expressed his commitment to optimizing the allocation of funds and ensuring that they are used honestlt. He also emphasized the need to systematize biometric data collection at the UCs level, with a centralized monitoring mechanism. Furthermore, he encouraged officers to be present in their respective towns and USCs, maintaining a direct connection with the local community.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2023.