FAISALABAD, Nov 17: The creation of Faisalabad city district under the devolution of power plan has not borne fruit for the areas of former Saddar TMA as its 48 union councils merged into towns are still without sanitary workers even one year after its creation.

Poor cleanliness and sanitation is a proof that the journey from district to city district government has completely failed. People living in remote areas or outskirts still await basic facilities.

People are not satisfied with the new system and say that before the devolution the income of urban areas was being spent on the provision of municipal services and upkeep of municipal areas but now “we are treated step-motherly.”

Roadsides war littered with filth emitting foul smell, they say.

“The new system is useless if we cannot get sanitation staff for the cleanliness of our streets,” enraged Fatima Bibi of union council 151 said.

According to statistics, the former Saddar tehsil, spread over 1,186 square kilometres, has a population of 924,110 and 174 villages. Of the 28 union councils in Lyallpur Town, some 16 have been included from the Saddar areas, having a rural population of 310,617. Eight union councils were included in Madina Town, raising its number to 41 with a rural population of 164,207. Likewise, of the 43 union councils of the Iqbal Town, some 15 have been taken from the defunct Saddar tehsil, having a rural population of 268,297. While nine union councils of rural area with the population of 180,989 had been included in the Jinnah Town. The four newly created towns have 35 per cent rural population.

The city union councils have 22 sanitary workers each and many of them reportedly remain absent from their duties and only enjoy the facilities and monthly salaries.

Sources said the city district nazim, MPAs and MNAs visit localities of Saddar areas but no one takes notice of the deteriorating sanitation situation. Except criticism on civic agencies on the floor of the house, they have done nothing practical so far to resolve the issue.

Union council 137 nazim Fayyazul Hasan, included in the Saddar locality, said on Friday that city district nazim Rana Zahid Tauseef promised immediate arrangements but the fate of rural people could not be changed.

“If the town council could not take up this issue in the next session, we will raise our voices at every level,” he added.

Solid Waste Management district officer Dr Ishfaq Ahmad said 43 UCs had been without sanitary workers. A plan was finalised to recruit more sanitary workers. It would be tabled in the next session of the council and recruitment would start as soon as it approved, he added.

He said all union councils of former Saddar tehsil would have 10 more sanitary workers each and this required Rs1.99 million annually. —Mohammad Saleem