The agitating employees had locked the TMA offices last week none of the officers of Khairpur district bothered to intervene. Deductions were also made in other districts of province, employees allege.
From Our Correspondent
Khairpur
Almost all the employees of local governments across Sindh province faced pay deductions on the pretext of meeting the expenses that occurred on PPP’s so-called ‘Long March’ from Karachi to Islamabad.
“Forced deduction of around two million rupees was made from the February salaries of 300 employees of Pir Jo Goth and Ahmedpur Taluka Municipal Committees alone,” disclosed some of the employees of two Municipal Committees of District Khairpur on the condition of anonymity.
“Officials of the Municipal Committee Pir Jo Goth and Ahmedpur deducted around two million rupees from the salaries to bear the expenses of ‘Long March’ of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” they complained.
They revealed that Administrators of the two Municipal Committees deducted Rs.5000 to Rs.9000 per employee.
In other Municipal and Town Committees of Sindh, the pay deductions were higher, ranging from Rs.9000 to Rs.11000, the employees alleged adding that all the administrators of local governments had transferred the money so collected to the PPP parliamentarians.
They further told that the affected employees of Pir Jo Goth and Ahmedpur Local Governments include those in Basic Pay Scale One to 07 and 11. The salary of the grade one is not more than Rs.18000 and of grade 7 to 11 also doesn’t exceed Rs.28000, which already is not sufficient to meet their own needs and in a time of Inflation and they are passing miserable lives.
Employees of the TMA Pir Jo Goth protesting against the forced deduction from their monthly salary had locked the TMA office last week but no any official like Deputy Commissioner, District Administrator, Divisional Commissioner Sukkur, Director Local government Sindh and others bothered to take notice of their protest and their genuine issue.
Watch the Video: Employees Lock TMA Office
During the protest, Moazam Abbasi and Fareed Memon, representatives of the protesting employees, had said that the Administrator of Taluka Municipal Committee Pir Jo Goth, Aftab Ahmed Mughal, without any justification deducted 5 to 09 thousands from their monthly salary and when they asked the reason, he replied, “Who will bear the expenses of the Bilawal Bhutto’s Long March”.
Protesting employees further alleged that every month 4 to 5 thousand rupees are being deducted from salaries by the Drawing and Disbursing Officers on the plea of bearing the expenses of the Political Houses and Bosses of the Local Government.
Protesting employees said that they approached to PPP MNA from the Pir Jo Goth, but he also did not pay any attention to their issues.
The protesting employees had alleged that the Administrators, appointed on political grounds are bound to bear the kitchen budget of their political bosses by deducting the amount from their salaries affecting their lives and making them unable to pay the utility bills, school fee of their children etc.
When contacted to Administrator of TMA Pir Jo Goth Aftab Ahmed Mughal, he asked this scribe to visit his office and have a cup of tea and know the reason for the deduction. “Deduction of the amount from the salaries of the employees is not new and continues since long” he said. When requested him again to give reason, in a harsh tone he said, “Ask this question to my boss – Director Local Government.”
Meanwhile this issue was brought to the Knowledge of the Deputy Commissioner Khairpur Saifullah Abro, he advised to take up this issue with Director Local Government.
When contacted to Director Local Government Aijaz Ahmed Shaikh, he said that his domain is only transfer and postings, however he said that the Administrators posted in Pir Jo Goth and Ahmedpur have Drawing and Disbursing powers but his office never demanded any favor from them and simply added that he will look in to the matter.
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