LARKANA: Sindh Local Government (LG) Department workers Tuesday called off strike after their talks with the Sindh Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah turned successful as all their lawful demands, including disbursement of monthly salaries through an existing online system, were accepted by the minister. The online system is already existing in all the government treasuries across the province.
This was disclosed by Shah Lateef Local Government Employees Union’s (SLLGEU) Provincial President Hafiz Mushtaq Ahmed Korejo and General Secretary Abdul Hadi Markhiyani while talking to this scribe on Tuesday. Markhiyani said that the minister ordered the constitution of a committee at district level consisting of a representative of Accountant General Sindh, Finance Department, CMO/Town Officer of relevant municipality, Local Government Director of division concerned, our union and local fund audit representative. He said a proforma would be prepared for verification and collection of all relevant documents of each employee which would be submitted to the district accounts offices duly signed by the committee members for making the salaries online as is paid to other Sindh government servants.
He said the issue of employees recruited during 2012 and 2013 was also discussed and the minister owned all the appointees as saying ‘they are our genuine employees, hence cannot be retrenched’. He told PPI that the minister said that those who were appointed by the elected chairmen could not be regularized as they were illegal appointments for which the chairmen had no authority. He said that it was also discussed that no employee would be merged in the Solid Waste Management which had been assigned the door to door work of collecting and disposing of garbage in Karachi, Larkana and elsewhere.
He said that the minister on their demand assured them that Octroi and Zila Tax (OZT) shares of every municipality etc. would also be enhanced so that proper salaries and pensions could be paid to the poor employees on time. When asked when the entire process will be completed, Markhiyani said no timeframe had been given, but hoped it would be completed within three to six months.
Meanwhile, after resumption of work by the local bodies workers, cleanliness started across the province. The garbage piled up during the past eight days was being removed and choked sewage lines were also being cleaned following which the residents have also started taking sigh of relief.
In Kausar Mill Muhalla of Union Committee-10 Larkana, residents, including Hafiz Noor Ahmed, Ghulam Ali Korai, Noor Odho, Sajad Shah and Abdul Waheed Abbasi complained that their locality had always been ignored and no cleanliness was carried out. They said overflowing outdated sewerage lines had created a havoc like situation and they were being treated as second class residents. They said Hyderi Muhalla, Hussaini Muhalla, Kusar Mill and other localities were being treated step-motherly in the city which should be ended and equally treated as ‘we too are human beings’.
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