Recouping losses: Prepare to pay more parking fee as KMC launches recovery drive

The amount will allow the KMC to pay its employees, says KMC commissioner.

KARACHI: Officials of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) have stepped up their efforts to ensure the recovery of dues from different government departments, The Express Tribune learnt on Wednesday.

KMC CBA union president Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, while appreciating the recovery drive, informed that the employees of five district municipal corporations (DMCs) had not been paid for the last two months, and they had also declared emergency ahead of Ashura.

“Although employees of the KMC were paid their salary, hundreds of employees of the five DMCs did not get their salaries for performing emergency duties during Muharram,” he said.

On Tuesday, KMC municipal commissioner Samiuddin Siddiqui chaired a meeting and directed all departments to reduce their expenditure to better the financial condition of the KMC. He also demanded the need to expedite the recovery campaign to overcome the financial burden.

Siddiqui said that all necessary measures should be taken to improve performance of the KMC departments on a preferential basis to avoid any financial crunch and to release the salaries of lower- grade employees of the KMCs and the DMCs. “The campaign along with an increase in revenue resources should be considered seriously and weekly performance reports should be obtained from the relevant staff,” he directed.

The municipal commissioner directed all officers to prepare a strategy and suggest recommendations to resolve legal matters pending in the courts. He directed the KMC charged parking department to increase revenue generation by charging parking fees at more shopping plazas and on other roads of the city. He advised that Bachat Bazaars should be re-auctioned and all payment should be received via pay order.

“The municipal’s utility bills department is directed to ensure the payment of bills is made easy, including payment of bills of katchi abadis leases,” the commissioner added.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th,2013.