June 28, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1429

KARACHI, June 27: Treasury members in the city council in its Friday session criticised the Sindh government over the recent administrative changes in the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

A resolution submitted by the treasury members, Mohammad Arshad Qureshi, Arshad Iqbal and Salman Baloch, stated that the government’s decisions adversely affected the water supply and sewage disposal system. The councillors demanded that the previous administrative set-up be restored wherein superintendent engineers would have all the financial powers.

Through another resolution, they pointed out that the existing structure was insufficient to meet the monsoon emergency.

The treasury members submitted four separate resolutions on matters related to the KWSB which were clubbed together by the convener, Nasreen Jalil. A component part of the resolution urged the provincial government to appoint a UC nazim from each town as coordinator who would be responsible for KWSB matters in his respective town.

The resolution demanded that the management of water hydrants be handed over to town administrations. It urged the Sindh government to withdraw the additional monthly tax imposed by the KWSB on residential plots measuring 200 square yards. It also sought transfer of 25 per cent fire and conversancy charges to the city government since the district government was responsible for the cleaning of storm drains.

Earlier, when the house resumed its proceedings, treasury leaders Masood Mehmud and Abdul Jalil urged the convener to table their resolutions on the KWSB issue and stressed that the verdict of the house be sought as most members had already debated the issue. But the convener allowed the opposition members to express their views.

Several opposition members, including Juman Darwan, Rafiq Ahmed, Abdul Razak, Mohammad Yaqub Khan and Ramzan Awan, said they had been raising the water and sewerage problems of Keamari, Baldia and Bin Qasim towns in the house for the last three years. But the treasury members never took them seriously. They defended the administrative reforms introduced in the water board, saying that the steps were initiated to improve the KWSB’s working. They were critical of the nazim’s policies towards the suburban areas and called for adopting “an even policy”. The treasury members, however, held the present administration responsible for the water crisis and demanded the removal of KWSB managing director, while some of the emotionally charged among them raised slogans against the MD. In response, the opposition benches raised slogans in his favour.

Pandemonium broke in the house when an opposition councillor Begum Shamim Mumtaz Waseih charged that a treasury member passed derogatory remarks against opposition UC nazim Mohammad Yaqub from Baldia. All the opposition leaders went to the desk of the convener to record their protest and seek apology from the member. The convener repeatedly asked the members to maintain the decorum but to no avail. She suspended the proceedings for 10 minutes and called group leaders in her chamber.

When the house reassembled the convener warned that she would not allow any member to use derogative language against any other member. Leader of the house Asif Siddiqui regretted over the incident and apologised for it. Later, the opposition staged a token walkout when the resolutions on the KWSB were tabled.

The house also took up two other resolutions. Through one resolution, a 2.5-acre land situated in Block 2 in Clifton has been transferred to the Karachi Development Company though the property’s ownership will remain with the city government. Opposition leaders Rafiq Ahmed, Dr Ziaul Islam and Abdul Razak rejected the resolution, saying that it violated the rules and regulations of disposal of land. They questioned the need for company’s establishment, saying that the city government did not need to create subordinate bodies to sell its property. Treasury leaders Masood Mehmud and Mohammad Arshad said the company was created to promote investment.

Through another resolution, the councillors urged the federal and provincial governments to increase the rate of OZT and single line transfer.

The council will now meet on Saturday at 5.30pm when the nazim will present the city government’s budget.