ISLAMABAD: The federal government has clipped all the major wings of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), returning many directorates to the administrative control of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to “ensure smooth and effective service delivery in the capital city and to ease the difficulties being faced by its citizens.”

The government has placed the MCI’s environment wings – including urban, regional and parks, the Directorate of Sanitation and City Sewerage, the Directorate of Water – bulk water supply and water and sewerage development, and the Directorate of Engineering – the Machinery Pool Organisation, streetlights and market roads and maintenance – under the administrative control of the CDA.

A notification issued by the Ministry of Interior on Monday said that these wings and directorates have been placed under the CDA’s control for six months.

The notification said: “Consequent upon approval of federal government…dated 5th October, 2020, in order to ensure smooth and effective service delivery in the capital city and to ease the difficulties being faced by its citizens the functions of following directorates accompanied by related formations of MCI are entrusted to CDA for an interim period of six months under section 94(2) of Islamabad Local Government Act, 2015.”

The notification added that the CDA will inject more funds into the operation of these directorates for the urgent optimisation of deliverables.

The MCI was formed in 2016 following local government elections in November 2015. More than 20 CDA directorates were fully devolved to the MCI and several others were partially devolved.

However, the MCI has not been able to perform because it has been neglected by the last PML-N and sitting PTI government, sources said. It does not have rules of business and financial rules in place, and has not received funding from the federal government.

When contacted, Deputy Mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi said he was unaware of the notification issued by the interior ministry on Monday, but said that in the case that the government is pursuing this the MCI will challenge it in the court of law.

“Any notification which will deprive the MCI of its directorates would be viewed not only against the PML-N but it would be an injustice against the people of Islamabad,” he said, adding that the federal government has been victimising the MCI because of its PML-N mayor.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2020