FAISALABAD: The municipal corporation (MC) on Monday approved imposition of conversion and building fees on 150 roads of the city amid strong protest by the opposition members who chanted slogans against it.

Opposition leader Sheraz Kahloon claimed that following the imposition of the fee, the masses would have to pay Rs1 billion to the corporation “that is unjustified as the government rules are silent on this issue.”

Deputy Mayor Amin Butt chairing the session placed the agenda before the house which irked the participants who said that they were given the agenda just minutes before the session and did not know anything about the roads selected for the fee.

The convener warned the chief officer corporation (COC) that he would not tolerate if the complaint of non-circulation of the agenda was lodged.

Taking part in the debate, the members said all roads were selected by the inspectors of areas concerned without the assistance of the union council chairmen who, in reality, had the knowledge of commercial activities in their constituencies.

Kahlon said when corporation officials were unable to approve the map of any building on such roads then “why were were going to impose tax on 150 bazaars of 157 union councils?”

He asked as to how many chairmen had been contacted by the officials on the fee issue.

He said: “A sum of Rs1bn has been estimated [under the fee head] that will be a burden on the poor.”

He said the letter of building by-laws quoted in the agenda was issued in April last but it was not tabled in the previous sessions.

The imposition of fee would bring a bad name to the [already beleaguered] PML-N, he said.

Some members suggested that a committee comprising chairmen and officials of the corporation should have been formed for the survey of the areas prior to imposition of commercialisation fee.

The survey was conducted in haste, treasury member Sheikh Zulfiqar said, adding fee must be imposed with the will of the union council chairmen.

He said: “We can beautify the city by enhancing our revenue and people are willing to pay.”

He said the mayor must be authorised to impose the commercialisation fee [on roads].

The members criticised the performance of the building branch of the corporation and said the inspectors working in this section were allegedly involved in corruption.

They stressed the need for checking the service record of the building inspectors and suggested that the corrupt should not be given postings and stern action must be taken against them.

The municipal officer (planning) briefing the house on the commercialisation fee and said as many as 430 roads fell in the MC remit and imposition of fee would strengthen the financial position of the corporation “and people are willing to pay.”

He said the survey of the roads had been conducted by the inspectors concerned. The [survey] report would be got vetted from the provincial government after approval from the house, he added.

The house also approved a resolution seeking handover of parks and horticulture authority, Faisalabad Development Authority, solid waste management, water and sanitation agency, general bus stand, parking company, Faisalabad Urban Transport Service and schools to the municipal corporation.

The participants spoke of the [alleged] corrupt practices on the part of the solid waste company officials and urged the chair to take action against them.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2017