Local govt system should have unity of command: Ajakia
BY JAMIL KHAN
KARACHI, August 22 2006: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement leadership supported the local bodies system as power was devolved to masses at grass root level. It is our firm commitment to serve the people but the pre requisite is that there should be unity of command and one window operation should be guaranteed for smooth working. The civic problems can be resolved under a single management authority. The distribution of power in lower level matches to the manifesto of MQM and the current local system is a real picture of it.
Jamshed Town Nazim Arif Ajakia in an exclusive interview with The Nation said this on Monday (Aug 21). He said that to run any system, we need resources and manpower, but the Jamshed Town lacks both. We are deprived of all the benefits that could accrue to the people of the Town. “Unfortunately, majority of the regular tax payers live in the Jamshed Town but the corrupt officials are filling their pockets and let the town administration facing constrain financial crisis”, he said.
Giving last year’s example, he said, “the previous town administration had collected just Rs1.9 million under the head of trade license while the no a single penny was recovered under the lieu of property tax. He told that the town administration has planned to collect Rs200 million under the head of trade license and Rs80 million from property tax during the current fiscal year”. Unfolding the details, he said that the hawker zones would be developed in all union councils where the pushcarts and vendors would be given all civic facilities and bring them under the tax-net. When asked about the water and sewerage condition in the township, the Nazim said that there are three union councils – UC 1 Akhter Colony and Junejo Colony, UC2 Defence View, Manzoor Colony and UC3 Azam Basti – where no infrastructure of water and sewerage exists pointing the utter negligence of previous govts towards these areas.
“The survey in collaboration of city govt has been started in these areas to provide all civic facilities and the projects worth billion of rupees to lay down new water and sewerage infrastructure would be started soon”, he said. He also mentioned that two major projects from the discretionary fund of Federal Minister for Housing Safwan Ullah in Soldier Bazaar area and Mehmodabad while a new water pipeline would also be laid down to utilize the funds of MPA Rauf Siddiqi in PECHS.
Highlighting the recreational facilities in the township, he said that the town administration with the help of city government would construct Shaheen Sports Ground and Sports Complex in different areas while the existing playgrounds and parks would be renovated on priority basis. “So far, the township had completed 12 small parks in different parts but more would also be constructed to provide a healthy environment to the residents of the Jamshed Town”, he said. Mr. Ajakia said that the current torrential rains in the city had created various problems. He said that the Muslimabad hydrant is being closed as all adjacent streets in the area have been damaged due to the heavy movement of water tankers. “There are six official hydrants in the township creating severe water shortage as hundreds of tankers supply water to the areas out of the township and generating a huge amount for themselves “the Nazim said.
SANITATION: The Town Nazim Arif Ajakia said that they are not satisfying the privatized solid waste management as the contractor had failed to carry out his job properly. “The town administration had given last warning to the contractor to improve performance as heaps of garbage at every nook and corner causing worst sanitation condition”, he said. He added that the town administration had also planned to dispose garbage from door-to-door in the union councils of 5, 6 and 7, as the system would be implemented soon.
ENCROACHMENT: There are over 8000 shops and 4000 pushcarts, vendors set up their makeshift business on Tariq Road which is one of the major commercial part in the township but all the shopkeepers and others are involved in this illegal practice, he said. “The road have been reduced too much as illegal parking, encroachments in front of shops and by pushcarts and vendors creating serious problems for the visitors. The town administration has decided to bring back the look of Tariq Road which was in ’70s”, he said. “For this, all public transport would be diverted on other routes and the encroachments would be removed, he said. He mentioned that a plan was under consideration to set up Food Street on Allama Iqbal Road in two phases. “In the first phase, the road from Jheel Park to Liberty Chowk and later from Khalid bin Waleed Road would be developed as Food Street”, he said.
WEBSITE: The town Nazim said that all town department offices are being centrally computerized to provide state-of-the-art environment to the officials and the visitors who daily visit town office for their purposes. The new system would be operational within three months, as most of the backhand work has been completed. Besides this, the town administration official website would also be launched soon, he said.
Source: The Nation
Date:8/22/2006
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