KARACHI, April 22: People of the metropolis were facing hardships due to the non-completion of several development projects being undertaken by the city government, which was facing a financial crisis thanks to its Revenue Department, which had failed to achieve its target in the current fiscal.

Sources in the city government told Dawn on Saturday that the Works and Services Department has to release over Rs500 million to different contractors to ensure timely completion of a number of projects.

However, the non-availability of funds has forced the department concerned to stop payments to the contractors, who in turn have stopped or slowed down work on their respective projects.

The main tracks of a number of busy thoroughfares had been opened for vehicular traffic, but commuters were still facing hardships in the absence of proper service lanes, work on which has been slowed down by the contractors.

Work was affected on various under-construction thoroughfares including Rashid Minhas Road, Business Recorder Road, Malir Cantt Expressway, Garden Road, Altaf Hussain Barelvi Road, Shah Lateef Road, Siddique Wahab Road, 12,000 Road Korangi and Shahrah-i-Orangi. In the absence of final carpeting on Dalmia Road, potholes have appeared on this road.

Sources said that the Finance Department was not releasing the required funds to the Works and Services Department. The city government, in its 2006-07 budget, allocated about Rs16 billion for the Works and Services Department.

However, a source in the Finance Department told Dawn that had the Revenue Department met its target, the Finance Department would promptly release all funds for the city’s development.

The source said that the Revenue Group of Offices, which comprise departments of Land, Local Taxes, Recovery, Public Housing and others, has failed to achieve its target given in the city government budget for fiscal year 2006-07.

Citing the example of the Local Taxes Department, the source maintained that the department concerned generated only Rs180 million during the current fiscal, against the target of over Rs1.5 billion. The department, however, had claimed to generate Rs280 million through the auction of 121 billboards in January last, but the process had failed as at least two winning companies of the auction did not turn up.

The sources said that City Nazim Mustafa Kamal took strong notice of the situation and directed the departments concerned to take all-out measures to ensure speedy completion of all development projects.

He also directed the Revenue Department to meet the target of the current fiscal. However, it seems very difficult that this target can be met by June 30.