KARACHI: A severe crisis is brewing at the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) as an inordinate delay in the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC-I) meeting has left hundreds of senior officials in Grade-17 without promotions.

Informed sources said the delay in the promotion of eligible officers had sparked grave concerns about its impact on the city’s water supply and sewerage system, with over 900 employees expected to retire in the current and next year.

They revealed that the DPC-I meeting, which was responsible for approving promotions, had been pending for a long time, leaving many senior officials in Grade-17 without promotions. Those officials had been waiting for over 32 years for their promotions, and the delay had caused them significant distress and financial hardships, said the sources.

When contacted, the KWSC Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Ali Siddiqui acknowledged that the process of holding the DPC meeting had already been initiated with clear directions to the human resources team of the water utility. “We ensure due promotions of eligible officers on merit as per rules and policy as soon as possible,” he added.

According to the sources, Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab, who is also the chairman of the KWSC Board, has directed the water utility’s administration to give promotions to all the senior officials and employees as soon as possible. However, despite these instructions, the administration has failed to hold the DPC-I meeting.

Voicing their discontent, the denied officials alleged a disparity in promotion procedures, where high-ranking officials received timely promotions while hardworking and senior officials in lower grades were overlooked and unfairly denied their due promotions.

One affected officer, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed his concerns about the impact of the delay on the city’s water supply and sewerage system. “The delay in promotions has not only affected the officials’ fundamental rights but also raised concerns about the impact on the city’s water supply and sewerage system,” he said. “The lack of promotions has already affected the morale of the employees and the overall performance of the institution to a great extent,” he added.

Another officer, also on the condition of anonymity, emphasised the need for immediate action to hold the DPC-I meeting and grant promotions to the deserving officials. “The water utility administration must take immediate action to hold the DPC-I meeting and grant promotions to the deserving officials to ensure the stability and efficiency of the institution and ultimately benefiting the citizens of Karachi,” he said.

The sources revealed that the affected officers waiting for promotions had repeatedly requested the KWSC top management to hold the meeting of the DPC-I and grant promotions to all the eligible and senior officials in Grade-17 without further delay. They believe that the delay in promotion has led to lethargy among the officers, which is affecting the performance and efficiency of the water utility officials in general.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2025