KARACHI: Four wings of Engineering Department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) have been working without Chief Engineers (Basic Pay Scale 20-grade officers) since the last three months, officials of the Engineering Department have informed.
Civil, Building, Electrical& Mechanical and Road & Bridges departments functioning without heads are being supervised by Shahab Anwer, Director General (DG) Technical Services KMC.
Rizwan Memon, Sindh Chief Secretary has asked the DG to cater the responsibilities of these departments until further orders.
“This move of Sindh government is aimed to delay the delegation of local body powers to Mayor and Deputy Mayor and on the hand to control powers of KMC, rather to share powers with public office elected members of the civic entity”, Bilal Manzar, secretary of KMC Officers Association revealed.
In the outset of this aim, Local Government Sindh in a recently developed Project Directorate has empowered Niaz Soomro, former DG of Works and Services Department KMC as Project Director for Rs 10 billion worth of government mega development projects in Karachi.
Shahab Anwer, an employee of Sindh Council United Gazette (SCUG) Officers has been holding DG Engineering Department KMC in sheer violation of by-laws of KMC, as this official responsibility comes under KMC’s domain, KMC Officer Association has asserted.
Under this administrative disarray , Shahab Anwer is under the influence of Niaz Soomro and even Soomro has never bothered to consult with any of the responsible KMC officials in respect of official matters pertaining to development projects in city and progress of KMC officials.
In the meantime, Waseem Akhtar Mayor Karachi has sent to Secretary Local Government Department Sindh, approved notification by Council Resolution of KMC through Chief Minister Sindh to issue a gazette notification for creating two new Chief Engineers posts
In case of positive response, number of Chief Engineers would be six from four and on their respective postings they would be responsible to look after matters of six district-wise planning, design, construction, maintenance and repair, roads, flyover and underpasses and government buildings.
It is to be mentioned that Shafi Muhammad Chachar, Chief Engineer Electrical and Mechanical, a grade 19 official is still serving KMC though he has been relieved by former Dr Badar Jamil, Municipal Commissioner KMC on the directives of Supreme Court of Pakistan on pretext of an employee of Karachi Development Authority.
Zafar Baloch, Superintending Engineer South KMC (officer grade 19) is drawing salary and other official benefits of grade 20 as this cadre is falling vacant.
Two other grade 20 officials are drawing all financial benefits from KMC though they belong to SCUG officers.
KMC Engineering Department is working with 824 employees. The basic functions of Department include planning, designing, development and repair maintenance of roads bridges flyovers underpasses buildings storm water drainage etc. Execution of works on behalf of other agencies/department as deposit works.