KARACHI, May 31: Asserting his control over the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board on Saturday, Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani occupied the office of chairman, which had previously been in the use of City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, and announced that he would soon cancel 6,000 recruitments made by the caretaker government.

He also ordered the removal of the city nazim’s nameplate from the chairman’s office.

Mr Durrani, who was recently made chairman of the water utility, arrived at the KWSB headquarters on Saturday morning and remained there for about four hours.

Managing Director Suleman Chandio briefed the minister on several ongoing development projects, the financial position and details of vacant land belonging to the KWSB.

Well-placed sources told Dawn that on May 29 Mr Kamal held a meeting with the KWSB MD in the chairman’s office.

They added that by occupying the chairman’s office the provincial minister made it clear that the city nazim, who is now one of the over 20 members of the board, was no longer at the helm of the water utility’s affairs.

Talking to newsmen at the KWSB headquarters, Mr Durrani said the government would soon cancel about 6,000 new appointments in the water utility because it had been decided that all employments made by the caretaker government would be treated as void.

He said that due to the new inductions KWSB’s expenses had gone up by some 35 per cent. However, he added that the government would appoint more people in the KWSB as per rules.

He disclosed that some 16 corruption references were being prepared by the new management of the KWSB against former chairmen, MDs and other officials. “I have directed the secretary for local government to monitor the process and submit a report to me within a month. If necessary, we will send the references to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).”

He said action would be taken against any of the former MDs or chairmen if found involved in irregularities.

The sources said that the minister had constituted a team which was currently checking records of the periods of former city nazim Niamatullah Khan and Mr Kamal.

Mr Durrani said the local government system was a complete failure and it should be abolished. However, he said if the government wanted to continue with this system, certain amendments should be made in the local government system.

Answering a question, he hinted that all hydrants of the KWSB would soon be given in the control of Rangers. “Town nazims have failed to manage the hydrants and they have been told to improve their working otherwise we will again hand over their control to Rangers,” he added.

The minister said that former MD Ghulam Arif was replaced with Mr Chandio as the former had failed to improve the working of the water board.

On April 24, the Sindh government through a notification reconstituted the KWSB and appointed the LG minister as new chairman in place of the city nazim. The nazim, however, implemented an earlier decision of the Sindh government through which he made the KWSB as ‘water and sanitation group of offices’ in the Karachi city government.