Irate CDGK workers protest late salaries

KARACHI - The aggrieved employees of the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) who have been facing late payment of salaries, blocked MA Jinnah Road on Wednesday to give vent to their frustration and demanded timely payment of their salaries. The irate employees blocked MA Jinnah Road for all kind of vehicular traffic, causing severe traffic gridlock. They chanted slogans against the administration and officials of the CDGK Finance Department. They declared that the wrong policies of the CDGK administration and the Finance Department were the main reason behind the delay in the payment of their salaries otherwise there was no as such financial crisis. The employees alleged that during the holy month of Ramazan, their families were facing financial woes due to the lethargy of the city government. Price-hike has already brought the salaried class to a miserable position, especially during Ramazan, while on the other hand, utility bills particularly that of the KESC have made the situation more difficult, they pointed out. CDGK Administrator Fazalur Rehman should himself realise how employees could cater to the needs of their families and pay the school fees of children when they will be paid salaries late for two months, a group of protesting employees told the newsmen. They further said that the high officials of city government, especially the administrator should realize that every employee in the city government was not corrupt. They said that for those staffers who mint money and receive commissions and bribes, payment of late salaries was not a problem but for those who are solely dependent on salaries it does matter. They said that despite repeated directives from the CDGK administrator, the finance department had failed to ensure timely payment of salaries, forcing the employees to take to streets. They demanded that they should be paid their salaries before Eidul Fitr so that they could celebrate the biggest religious festival of Eid with their families with fervour. They expressed surprise that at a time when the city government was facing financial crisis and employees were deprived of their two month salaries how contractors were being paid regularly. It may be noted that defunct KDA employees, parks department employees, education department and several other departments are the mostly affected ones.