KARACHI: Waseem Akhtar, Mayor Karachi, has stopped overtime allowance of 519 inactive employees of Fire Brigade Department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.These workers are on payroll of fire department but discharging their duties in different other departments of the entity.Around 155 such employees are serving other than fire brigade department while remaining servicemen have been working in wireless, workshop and other wings of KMC. Only 824 workmen at different fire brigade stations would be entitled to get overtime allowance.This step has been taken in view to manage the funds of this particular department.After a scrutiny by Chief Fire Officer, Tahseem Ahmad, overtime allowances would be given to active employees, those physically working in fire stations.Out of 834 employees, 33 officers working in Basic Pay Scale grade of 16 to 18 including a Chief Fire Officer, a Deputy, a Project Officer, 8 Station officers, 16 Sub Fire Officers and 48 leading firemen would get overtime allowance. In addition 64 junior firemen and 240 firemen would also be entitled for this allowance.After reports of misappropriation in fire department funds this step was necessary to lessen the economic load of the department. Around Rs 869.20 million has been spending on salaries and other allowances. Only Rs 302 million are allocated for salaries while Rs 256 million are meant for different allowances and Rs 210 million for overtime. Pensioners are getting Rs 79 million while Rs 23 million is being spent on Urban Research Centre at Hawksbay.It is pertinent to mention here overtime allowances have not been paid to employees since last eight months.Meanwhile ten fire stations have been closed down due to non availability of fire tenders on ground of non-repairing of the machinery and on poor performance of the employees.The closed stations include Emergency Centre Nazimabad, Orangi, Shah Faisal Colony, Baldia Town, Manzoor Colony, Cattle Colony Malir, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Civic Centre.Only 13 fire tenders are left for catering fire and other emergency duties out of a total number of 25-year old 48 such fire engines. Four fire fighting vehicles donated by Japan are in working condition.Fire tenders need for Karachi stands 230 vehicles and under such shabby condition of the fire department, there has been always a difficulty to cope with the fire incidents in city.A senior Municipal Services Department has informed that Prime Minister Khaqhan Abbasi has approved Rs 5 billion for purchasing fire tenders including 10 snorkels for city. “If there is no bottleneck in the process, it is expected that delivery of these vehicles would be matured by end of this fiscal year”, he maintained.