HYDERABAD, Nov 1: The non-payment of required share in lieu of the octroi tax to three Taluka Councils (TCs) — City, Latifa-bad, and Qasimabad — by the central government is making it difficult for running the administration of the three Talukas smoothly, compelling the employees to hold protest rallies and observe strikes against the non-payment of their salaries and other benefits.

It is also on account of non-payment of grant that no significant development works, except under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme, can be carried out in the areas of the union councils.

It is frustrating the elected representatives.

Countless letters by the Taluka City Council (TCC) Nazim, Moin Sheikh, were sent to the authorities including the federal minister for information and media development, chairman, National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB), Sindh Governor, the secretary, Local Government, etc, depicting a bleak picture of the state of affairs of the three TCs but in vain.

On the other hand, the workers continued to hold protest rallies and observe strikes because of the late disbursement of salaries.

Investigations made by this correspondent revealed that the TCC has been endeavouring to ensure regular payment of salaries by writing to the authorities concerned but it received no positive response.

The TCC Nazim said after abolition of the octroi tax in 1999, the government undertook to give the required share of octroi to the defunct Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC). An increase of 15 per cent per annum was also promised under the same head.

A Naib Nazim, Anwar Chundrigar, claimed that the amount given as salary could have been utilized for development but we continue to face a threatening posture from our electorates who are utterly disappointed with the new system.

There is a shortage of garbage vans as most of the vehicles are old and remain off the roads though the load of work has increased. Non-availability of vehicles results in accumulation of garbage and solid waste on the main roads and streets, and residential and commercial areas. The nullahs have been covered with silt since the last 20 years because of an open drain system in the city aggravating the situation further.

Availability of POL is another problem.A dispute regarding payment of Hesco dues is still going-on.

The power supply to the TCC had been disconnected earlier. The monthly average electricity bill is estimated to be Rs3,000,000.

The CBA president, Qamoos Gul Khattak, in his letter to the TCC Nazim, claimed that the union was not averse to payments being made out to contractors or garbage vans and other items being purchased.

He, however, said that priority should be given to paying workers their salaries.

He agreed that the union must call the Nazim, TCC, after seeking time in advance.