KARACHI, March 31: The Karachi City District Government has yet to transfer many functions to the Town administrations as required under the SLGO 2001, it is learnt here.

According to sources, the city government is still performing the functions of the Towns unauthorizedly as the transfer of staff and record has not yet taken place. The functions include collection of conservancy & fire tax, trade licence, slaughter houses, cinema tax (show tax).

In a letter to the Sindh government, the administration of Saddar Town noted with concern that the KWSB was issuing challans to the consumers for water taxes along with separate challans for payment of conservancy & fire taxes, to deposit in the bank account of the city government, instead of transferring the amount to the account of respective towns.

The Town administration said in the letter: “It is not known under what law the KWSB is issuing challans for conservancy and fire tax on behalf of the city government, and how it is collecting the amount on account of conservancy and fire taxes, without lawful authority.”

Under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2001, Section 54 (h) viii & 88 (B) in Part-11 of Second Schedule, the Towns are empowered to collect fire and conservancy taxes.

In view of this, the Town administration termed the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board action violative of the SLGO, 2001, saying receiving conservancy & fire tax was functions of the Towns.

It urged the city government to stop the collection of conservancy and fire tax immediately and remit the amount to the Towns so far collected, and also stop performing Town functions and, as required under the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2001 transfer the staff and record without fail.

The Town administration also noted with concern that with regard to encroachment only staff had been placed at the disposal of Town, but their services were still being governed by the Karachi City District Government.

Because of this ambiguity, the anti-encroachment staff are considering themselves employees of the city government as they often receive instructions from the city government.

Earlier, the administration of the Site Town, in a separate communication, questioned the authority of the city government for receiving conservancy and fire taxes, saying it was a violation of the provisions of the SLGO.

The Site Town administration, in a communication to the city government, objected to issuance of trade licences while referring to a notification dated 19-2-2002 issued by the city government’s executive district officer health describing procedure and channel for grant of trade licences.

It said the city government was not the competent authority to grant trade licences, and termed it misuse of power, and urged the city government to withdraw the notification issued by the executive district health officer.

The Saddar and Site Towns have also urged the Sindh government to put the property tax recovery staff and the relevant records at the disposal of the Town administrations.

According to the Sindh Local Government Ordinance, 2001, the Towns are empowered to collect property tax within their territorial jurisdiction.

The administrations of both the Towns called for immediate transfer of the staff concerned and necessary records pertaining to the Towns so that a special property tax recovery campaign could be carried out to generate funds for development purposes.