TMAs exhorted to gain financial independence

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government, Arshad Ayub Khan, emphasized that the primary function of tehsil municipal administrations (TMAs) is to deliver services transparently and satisfactorily to the public. He added that this is in keeping with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s vision, which considers service quality as a key performance metric for the government.

During a briefing on the performance of the four TMAs in the districts of Lower and Upper Chitral, Minister Khan stressed the need for local bodies to become financially self-sustaining rather than relying on provincial government grants. He commended the TMAs for their historical role, particularly noting their contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic when TMA workers were actively involved in handling the deceased, with many sacrificing their lives in the line of duty.

The briefing was attended by MPA from Lower Chitral Fateh Mulk Ali Nasir, Tehsil Chairman Chitral Shahzad Amanur Rehman, Chairman Darush Tehsil Syed Faridjan Advocate, Chairman Morkho Torkho Tehsil Jamshed Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner Lower Chitral Muhammad Imran Khan, Regional Municipal Officer Ijaz Rahim, and the four TMOs: Rehmat Hanif (Chitral), Karimullah (Drosh), Misbahuddin, and Aminur Rahman (Mulkhow). Each presented their respective tehsil’s performance, with the Municipal Minister providing detailed feedback. Minister Khan urged the TMAs to enhance their public service quality and financial management.

He emphasized that the performance of municipal officers would be evaluated based on revenue collection and expenditure management. He mandated 100 percent attendance for TMA employees, warning that willful absenteeism and negligence would lead to dismissal. To ensure effective attendance monitoring, he ordered the installation of biometric machines. Additionally, Minister Khan instructed the attachment of chips to all vehicles to monitor and control excessive and unnecessary petrol usage.

He directed officers to work in consultation with local MPAs and chairmen to align with public expectations. The Regional Municipal Officer Malakand was tasked with auditing the TMAs’ identified issues through monitoring and evaluation teams, with a report due within ten days.