KARACHI, Feb 27: Yet another controversy involving Sindh government and city government seems brewing with the provincial planning department questioning the CDGK's authority in appointing experts as consultants on master plan and solid waste management.

The CDGK, through advertisements in print media recently, had sought and shortlisted 36 consultancy firms for its development projects being executed under the Tameer-i-Karachi Programme that includes construction of roads (with other related works), bridges and flyovers, as well as master plan and laying/maintenance of sewerage and water supply network.

The Sindh Planning and Development Department has now objected to the move on grounds that "it is the job of executing agency." The master plan in question includes a detailed topographic survey of land-use as well as land-use planning. The solid waste management also requires planning and identification of landfill sites and garbage stations, etc.

Drawing attention of the relevant authorities to the nature of the CDGK initiative, the P&D Department in a communication maintained that the CDGK had earlier been advised to send the master plan proposal through the provincial government, i.e. Local Government Department, for which the procedure envisaged a clearance proforma for exploring donors. However, it added, the CDGK response to the advice was still awaited.

The P&D department has always extended assistance to the administrative departments whenever asked for help in any technical matter such as preparing Terms of Reference (ToRs) for consultancy and developing a criteria for selection of consultants, the department maintained and argued that since the CDGK was not an executing agency (EA), it was not authorized to appoint consultants which was purely the job of an executing agency.

"... the P&D department is also of the opinion that consultants appointed by any other agency other than the EA may not be acceptable to EA and may create some problems during implementation.

"The P&D department had recently provided such assistance to the Hyderabad district in preparing the expression of interest (EoI) for the consultancy service for master plan of Hyderabad, selection criteria for shortlisting the consultants and ToR of the master plan."

The CDGK is of the view that the role of P&D department is to assist certain agencies, whenever approached, in technical matters. It believes that appointment of consultants is the job of ADs, district governments and executing agencies.

The P&D department has questioned the CDGK's authority at the point of time when the latter is preparing the relevant PC-II for submission, through the Local Government department, to the PDWP for the purpose of processing and consideration.

The P&D department's objection may kick off a controversy similar to a row between the very two sides over the authority and exercise of powers of transfers and postings. It may also hinder preparations for a proper land-use plan to be worked out for an orderly development in future.

The earlier row over transfers and postings in the CDGK departments had not only created tension between the provincial Local Government department and the CDGK, but had also led to a virtual halt to almost all the development activities in the metropolis.