HYDERABAD, March 31: City Taluka Nazim Moinuddin Sheikh has called upon the Sindh government to increase octroi and zila tax share of the taluka municipal administration.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club on Wednesday, he demanded that the ban on departmental promotion committee and commercial schemes be lifted as local bodies could earn some revenue.

Taluka Naib Nazim Abdul Qadeer Naghar, council members Qamaruddin Sheikh, Hakeem Sameer Ashrafi, Iqbal Sheikh and Anwar Chundrigar were present on the occasion.

He said when he took over there were liabilities of contractors and ensured payment of three months salaries of employees.

He said that liabilities of the contractors were being cleared gradually as well.

“TMA gets very nominal share of octroi and meets salary expenses of employees through its other resources whereas miscellaneous expenditure were also a burden”, he said.

He said the TMA needed sufficient amount for development in its area.

Referring to recent strike by the CBA union for non payment of salaries of employees in UC-13, he said following three days of leave on different festivals the strike affected civic work badly.

He said the octroi tax share had been paid against pension and salaries honestly because it could not be withheld by the TMA.

He said the TMA used to get share of Rs11 million but it was being given Rs9.9 million whereas miscellaneous expenses stood at Rs1 million, amounting to total deficit to Rs2. 1million.

He said the CBA union demanded salaries of Rs1 million of which Rs850,000 were paid against salaries and only UC-13 was left to be paid salary which was delayed due to preparation of salary bills (Rs135,000) of sanitary workers.

He appealed to the Sindh government to increase its octroi tax share and approve its commercial schemes for providing basic amenities to residents.

The nazim said around 125 employees were promoted with approval of the CBA union in the wake of vacancies on different posts, created due to bifurcation of staff following the devolution plan in 2001.

He said all these promotions were subject to approval by the DPC (departmental promotion committee) but local bodies adviser had banned proceedings of the DPC till further order.

He said these promotions were open to any scrutiny if right of any employee had been affected the case could be reviewed.

“I would not be disappointed if these promotions are cancelled on the ground that they were political in nature but it would be great injustice with workers”, he argued.

About commercial schemes, he said, around 10 shops of 1985 Baldia shopping centre had been auctioned, leading to earning of Rs8.2 million but these proceedings had been held in abeyance by the adviser for local bodies.

He said there were no legal hitches yet it had been withheld while two more shops were yet to be auctioned.

“These are financial constraints of the TMA that need to be considered by the Sindh Local Government Commission and Local Bodies Adviser”, he said.