KARACHI, June 27: The City Nazim, Niamatullah Khan, through a notification had devolved the functions of the Local Tax Department (Advertisement) of the city government to the towns, but the bureaucracy, having control over the concerned department, is impeding the devolution as no practical step has reportedly been taken to implement the decision. The city nazim superseding all earlier notifications and orders, had notified on June 6 the procedure for granting permissions for installation of hoardings, signage, bill boards, shop boards or any other advertising material for display in the city.

According to notification, the staff up to the town level drawing salary from the local tax office shall perform their functions under the administrative control of the town administration. Salary of such staff was also subjected to verification of attendance and reporting to the respective town nazims. All other staff drawing salaries from any department other than the local tax office was also ordered to be repatriated to their parent departments and offices with immediate effect.

The notification stated that all the applications submitted for permissions for displaying any advertising material in a town under signage bye-laws, are to be put up to the respective town nazims with NOC from the concerned union council.

The town nazim after satisfaction and ascertaining that all conditions as per the bye-laws have been fulfilled, shall forward the case with his recommendations to the DO (local tax) for placing before the committee constituted by the city nazim and approved by the city council.

On approval of the committee, the file shall return to the concerned town, where from the challan shall be issued by the head of the local tax department of the concerned town with counter signature of the town nazim.

The record shall be kept in duplicate with the concerned town as well as with the officer of district office, local tax, city government.

The committee of the city government whose decision shall be implemented by the town administration shall also decide the matters pertaining to auction.

All the towns have to maintain computerized data of the advertising boards and recoveries. There shall be two accounts only for deposit of recovery of local tax- one at the Habib Bank, KMC branch and the other at the Allied Bank, Civic Centre branch. All other accounts shall be closed within three days of this notification and all deposits in the closed accounts shall be transferred to the Habib Bank, KMC branch.

Operation of any account and issuance of permission or challan not in accordance with the procedure notified above shall be deemed to be a criminal act and liable to face action under the service rules.

The notification further stated that 20 per cent of the amount recovered within the limits of the concerned town, except from auction of the sites shall be paid to the concerned town as service charges. This payment is to be made after every three months without fail.

It made clear that the DO (local tax) shall ensure implementation of this notification; however no practical step has been taken so far.—PPI