KARACHI - Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar has asked the Sindh chief minister to withdraw the decision to deduct electricity dues, amounting to Rs1.269billion, from the OZT share of KMC.

In a letter addressed to the CM, the mayor has requested him to invite him, secretary LG and secretary finance along with the minister for LG to a meeting so that KMC’s rightful share may be decided to make KMC a functional entity.

In the letter, Wasim has opined that the decision of deducting Rs26.454million from KMC’s OZT share in 48 monthly installments to be initiated in March is quite irrational as the Finance Department of the Government of Sindh had neither bothered to take opinion from KMC nor the longstanding claim of KMC against K-Electric, amounting to Rs7.071billion, was even considered.

He called this decision against all the principles and ethics.

The mayor pointed out that the deduction was being made when KMC was already facing acute financial crisis and could not make timely payment of salaries to its staff.

He said the Finance Department, Sindh had already distributed the OZT share of KMC among DMCs without any formula and protected the salaries of devolved departments forcing the KMC to bear the shortfall in the salaries of KMC employees.

“In the same way, on devolution of KDA, their salaries are protected by diverting Rs200million per month from KMC Grant-in-Aid, while the requirement of KMC for disbursement of salaries was deliberately neglected,” Wasim argued.

He further said that injustice with KMC was further compounded when the DMC staff was given complete protection of their salaries, but in addition to that, the major taxes were also entrusted to the DMCs; thereby dealing a financial blow to the KMC.

The mayor said KDA never was the recipient of Grant-in-Aid or OZT, yet when it came to segregating the KDA from KMC, Rs200million were also deducted from KMCs 500millin Grant-in-Aid, which, he said, was a very discriminatory act.