KARACHI: Terming it a “sheer insult” to the elected City Council, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar criticised the Sindh government for refusing to incorporate even one of the 143 development schemes proposed by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in the provincial annual development programme 2017-18.

“The KMC had sent 143 schemes worth Rs25 billion for provincial ADP for Rs9bn allocation, but not a single penny has been allocated to the KMC, which is a sheer insult to local council representatives,” Mayor Akhtar told a press conference at the KMC building. “Almost all the schemes we had prepared involved active consultation of the chairmen of the six district municipal corporations, union committees and other municipal bodies of Karachi.”

He claimed Karachi had been badly neglected in the present Sindh budget despite contributing 70 per cent of the whole accounts.

He said the development schemes recommended by the local councils’ representatives were not included in the budget, requesting Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to review the budget and make sure schemes submitted by the local councils in Karachi are implemented.

The chief minister has advised the mayor to read the budget books

Mr Akhtar said most of the Sindh budget was allocated to such places where there was no check and balance. “The present rulers have presented their 10th budget and still we see bad governance prevailing all around.”

The mayor said the Sindh government, which advised the local councils to make themselves sustainable through their own resources, had badly failed to increase its own sources of income as could be seen from their balance sheet.

“Out of total outlay of Rs1,044bn they promise to collect Rs185bn which comes to just 17 per cent while they get 83pc funds from Islamabad.”

Referring to what he called injustice to Karachi, he said the provincial government collected around Rs95bn from Karachi. “For motor vehicle tax they have set target for Rs7.5bn for 2017-18, out of which over 70pc [Rs5.2bn] revenue is generated from Karachi.”

He said the actual property tax receipts of year 2015-16 showed only Rs3.2bn, which was increased in budget estimates for 2017-18 to Rs6.3bn. “This is a local tax which should be devolved to the KMC but it is still with the Sindh government. Plus, the total urban-based receipts from Karachi should be around 50pc of the total receipts, meaning the provincial authorities collect Rs3.15bn from Karachi.”

He claimed that infrastructure cess, which was pitched as Rs46bn was entirely collected from Karachi. The cess (the cost of using the city’s infrastructure) was collected by the province. Against these urban-based receipts, the agriculture tax revised estimates show Rs650 million and new target for 2017-18 was shown as Rs1bn, showing no comparison to urban taxes, he added.

He said 122 schemes, out of 440, were for Karachi while population of Karachi is around 40pc, thus, they should have been 200 in number.

Mr Akhtar said the KMC’s share of development portfolio was merely Rs1bn only. “All schemes are being implemented through bureaucratic arrangements which are non-functional due to Supreme Court orders.”

He said Karachi’s mega projects got Rs12bn through a project director. These projects included those of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board and the Karachi Development Authority which were not run by the elected councils.

Mr Akhtar regretted that not a single scheme in the mega projects had been kept for Karachi’s district Central, which is the largest among the city’s six districts.

“In this scenario, it is quite evident that the Sindh government is not interested in the development of Karachi to improve its worn-out infrastructure. It requires at least Rs100bn a year for next 10 years running to develop Karachi on merit.

“I can pray and request the Sindh government to think about Karachi; the city is already wounded and looking for mercy, or else things could go out of control.”

Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra, municipal commissioner, leader of the house, and parliamentary leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also attended the press conference.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah advised the mayor to read the budget documents meticulously.

Speaking to the media while visiting the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Mr Shah said the mayor of Karachi had not read the budget book. “In Karachi, over 317 schemes are going to be completed in the next financial year because they have been fully funded.”

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2017