PESHAWAR, Aug 18: More than a dozen damaged vehicles owned by Town-1 administration and valuing millions of rupees have been rusting away over delayed repairs, it is learnt.

Sources said these vehicles, including six garbage trucks, five multi-loaders, two water tankers and a bulldozer, had long been lying in the Town-1 administration’s workshop near the historic Wazir Bagh.

They said the said vehicles owned by the Municipal Corporation, Peshawar, were given to the Town-1 administration after devolution of powers in 2001.

Sources said the administration had used these vehicles for years but they broke down due to lack of maintenance and thus, landing in the workshop.

An official said had the administration auctioned the said vehicles, the cash-starved administration would have paid salary to its staff in time.

He said since a dozen vehicles were unusable, the Town-1 administration faced difficulties in removing garbage from the city.

“We can’t remove garbage from inner parts of the city on a daily basis due to availability of limited number of vehicles,” he said.

The official said the government had purchased some tractor-trollies to replace damaged trucks for garbage disposal but they failed to meet the city’s needs.

He said the tractor-trolly’s size was so small compared to garbage trucks that they were unable to carry garbage in large quantity.

“The situation has forced more and more people to complain against the sanitation staff,” he said.

According to the official, a rusty bulldozer of D50-A type with its chain is covered in mud and parked in a corner of the workshop. The bulldozer, which values millions of rupees and was broken down 10 years ago, is helpful to the loading of garbage in the truck.

“The bulldozer was handed over to the Municipal Corporation Peshawar by the then rural development department at request.

Clutch plate of the bulldozer is broken and that can be repaired for a few thousands rupees,” he said.

The official said the Town-1 administration had several times asked the relevant department to secure the custody of their bulldozer but to no avail.

“The bulldozer is of no use for us, now. We told them time and again to remove it but the officials concerned are disinterested,” he said.

When contacted, Town-1 administration’s mechanical superintendent Athar Ali Shah said tenders for the auction of damaged vehicles were floated of late.

“These vehicles will be auctioned soon as their spares are no more available on the market,” he said.

Mr Shah said bulldozer couldn’t be auctioned because it was not owned by the Town-1 administration.

“Only the relevant department can decide its fate,” he said.