KOHAT, Aug 9: The staff union of the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) observed a strike against non-payment of salaries on Thursday. Staff union president Mr Sohail had urged officials to ensure timely payment of salaries, which were being delayed since 2006.

Talking to Dawn, he said that last year salaries had not been paid consecutively for three months and regretted that delay in payment had become a regular feature of the Tehsil Municipal Administration.

The reason behind the non-payment was rampant corruption, he alleged and said that five cases involving more than Rs70 million were pending against senior incumbent and former officials before the National Accountability Bureau and anti-corruption department.

Despite the fact that the Tehsil Municipal

Administration owns billions of rupees worth of properties that generate sufficient revenues, each year the administration runs out of cash during June when power bills were deducted at source by Water and Power Development Authority, he said.

When the tehsil municipal officer and tehsil nazim failed to give any assurance to the protesters regarding payment of their salaries, they locked the main gate and all offices.

The matter stood unresolved till this report was filed in the evening.