KARACHI: The local bodies in Sindh have been deprived of Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) award on behest of ulterior motives of Government of Sindh (GOS) since the last 12 years. The numbers of local bodies facing deprivation are one Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), 28 District Municipal Corporations, 108 Tehsil Councils and 1,128 Union Councils in Sindh. Waseeem Akhtar said in a statement that release of PFC award would enable local bodies to run their respective development and other projects in smooth manner besides shun dependence on special grants from GOS. “After the release of PFC awards to all local bodies, grants will be stopped and thus upper hand and dictation of GOS will cease to exist”, a local body government official opined. Even members have been nominated on much-awaited Commission but its first ever meeting has not been convened. Due to paucity of funds and PFC award, all local councils-from a union council of Sindh’s remote district to KMC have been facing huge shortage of funds for long, making it hard for them even to pay salaries to their respective employees. Services, General Administration and Coordination Department have already issued notification in this effect after 10 years while terms of the reference for PFC would be to determine obligatory and priority expenditure of local bodies and formulation of a divisible pool for the distribution of resources. Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister Sindh also possessing portfolio of Finance Minister and Chairman of PFC, minister for Local Government as co-chairperson has been unable to take the matter seriously. Other members on PFC are leader of the house Sindh Assembly, Makhdoom Rafiq-uz-Zaman and Faisal Sabzwari of Muttahida Qaumi Movement who is representing opposition, according to the notification. Waseem Akhtar and Arslan Shaikh Mayor Sukkur, chairmen of district council, Jacobabad and chairman of municipal committee of Jacobabad are other members and are representing elected representatives of the municipalities. Local government is now in place, but government has failed to mature it constitutional obligation of PFC share to local bodies. Talking to Daily Times, Sindh Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro said, “We are working on PFC and in this connection Murad Ali Shah has also been consulted”. Pakistan Peoples Party’s claim that it fulfils promise of distribution of National Finance Commission (NFC) share but failed to further it to metropolitan city, districts, tehsils and union council level. Due to no provision of funds, the local bodies were not functioning properly, progress is affecting and corrupt practices were cropping up, said senior officials of KMC. The PFC was awarded in 2005 for further three consecutive years. Besides, Committee would prepare benchmarks of revenues and expenditures and revenue and expenditure projections for the local governments so that they are consistent with their respective mandates as envisaged by Sindh Local Government Act, 2013, and their powers to levy and collect taxes. The PFC would suggest parameters for achieving fiscal discipline to maintain appropriate fiscal balance at provincial and local levels. The notification said the commission would look into any other financial matter referred to it by Sindh Chief Minister.