HWSC officers chide 'contractual' management

Denounce stoppage of house rent allowance, other perks

The officers of Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation (HWSC) have blamed the corporation's 'hired contractual' management for depriving them of certain allowances in their salaries. The Officers' Action Committee on Sunday expressed deep concern over what they described were the arbitrary and unlawful actions of the new management of HWSC

In a statement, they pointed out that as per the established legal and policy framework, the Sindh government is stipulated to provide either official accommodation or House Rent Allowance (HRA) to its employees. "The HRA is recognized as a compensatory benefit in lieu of government housing, which remains scarce."

The allowance in question is governed by the Sindh Accommodation Allocation Rules and related government policies. Its allocation is duly provided for within departmental budgets. The committee also referred to a judgment of the Federal Shariat Court, which had ruled that denial of the HRA violated Article 25 of the Constitution.

The officers contended that even if a couple is employed in a particular government department and are also posted in the same district even in such a situation they are entitled to that allowance. Such an interpretation of the law also founds support in the same federal court's judgment.

"... it is unlawful for the present contractual management of HWSC to assume authority to deduct or withhold employees' allowances in direct violation of both the law and the constitution of Pakistan," the officers contended. They referred to an office order of for Zila Nazim in 2004, the HRA was raised from 45% to 65% of the basic pay, effective January 1, 2004.

The committee called for immediate resumption of the withheld allowance, warning that the officers will be compelled to take legal recourse if the corporation's management remained adamant on its decision. The Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) and its offshoot HWSC, formerly Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), have been dealing with a perpetual financial crisis which requires repeated government bailouts.

The workforce of the two organizations incessantly complains about several months to years long unpaid salaries. Now the officers seem to have joined the chorus of protest against what they argue to be the authorities' alleged financial mismanagement.