Daily Times

KARACHI: The government of Sindh has abolished recently established Disaster Management Department’ under Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).

The Staff working with newly established Disaster Management Department is accommodated to Municipal Service of KMC.

Around three months ago, an order for setting up DMD was issued by Jawaid Rahim, Senior Director HRD KMC. It is now been cancelled by the Section Officer-V of Local Government, government of Sindh, issued on September 16.

The order has been sent to former administrator Karachi instead of mayor and deputy mayor though the former administrator left the office on August 30th this year and reported to S&GD GoS.

The departments under the control of DMD were Fire Brigade, City Warden Department, Security Department, 1339 Complaint Cell, Ambulance Service 1122 KMC and the team leader, USAR, and now they would report to senior Director Municipal Services of KMC.

After the annulment of the DMD, different departments transferred to KMC would now become inactive. This is the first order by the government of Sindh after the posts of mayor and deputy mayor of the city became functional.

This would create conflict of powers between the mayor office and the provincial government. The number of departments in KMC now stands 22 after DMD’s annulment. The officials of the government of Sindh said under SLGO 2013, the GoS has powers to cancel CR or order of the KMC.

“Such orders cannot be issued without informing the concerned minister. This action was taken by GoS at secretary level,” said a source. Meanwhile, Senior Director Municipal Services KMC Masood Alam said: “After this order my department would regain powers that were usurped by creating DMD. I am confident that after this development I would become active and work for the welfare of my department,” he added.

One of the KMC officers alleged that Masood Alam is an active planner for molding things in his favor and this action of GoS might be his brainchild. He was first appointed in the forest department in 1987 and later he transferred himself to KMC during Dr Farooq Sattar’s mayorship.