Talking about finance: KMC won’t be able to use money without DC’s approval, says Memon

Minister to launch clean, green Sindh campaign on February 23

KARACHI: The Sindh government has taken back the local administrators control over the government’s purse strings.

“No official from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and town municipal administrations (TMAs) will be able to use a single penny without the approval of the deputy commissioner (DC),” said Sindh Information and Local Bodies Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon. “This decision is being taken due to massive irregularities within the KMC and TMAs,” he said, adding that the DC will have control over the money and the commissioner of the division will supervise it.

According to Memon, from now on, people working for his department will receive their salaries through Sindh Bank. This is being done to avoid paying ghost employees. “Only account holders of Sindh Bank will receive their salaries as we are introducing a new biometric system to get rid of ghost employees,” said the minister.

Green Sindh

The local government department also announced that they will start a ‘clean, green and peaceful Sindh’ campaign in Karachi and other districts of the province from February 23. “Every week we will plant at least 100,000 trees in Karachi and clean the roads,” said Memon. “The administrator of my department and I will inaugurate the campaign.”

On encroachment on amenity plots, the minister who was accompanied by commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui, said some influential people had taken over amenity plots and built wedding halls. The government has decided to take action against them.

“I have asked the commissioner and Karachi administrator to do something with the help of the anti-encroachment force, police and Rangers to demolish the wedding halls and offices,” he said. “We are devising a plan to launch a campaign against illegal hydrants again.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2015.