ISLAMABAD: Traffic on Islamabad Expressway on Monday evening was thrown into disarray after Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad’s (MCI) sanitation workers shifted their protest on to the main artery of the capital, demanding release of their salaries, pending for the last three months.

On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior, under whose jurisdiction the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and the MCI come, seems to be playing the role of a silent spectator, paying no heed to the growing tussle between the two organisations over the disbursement of the protesting workers’ dues.

Caught between a rift between the MCI and CDA which were passing the buck on to each other, the sanitary workers blocked traffic near Zero Point Interchange.

The protesters chanted slogans against both civic agencies and a private contractor for not paying them salaries.

The road blockade caused troubles for motorists, most of whom were returning to Rawalpindi from their offices.

CDA says Rs30m have been released to contractor for payment to workers

“Only two days are left for Christmas but government officials are taking no interest in clearing our salaries. Earlier, we had staged protests before the offices of the mayor, CDA chairman, National Press Club but to no avail. Our children are waiting for Christmas shopping where we should go?” said Arshad Masih.

The sanitary workers have been staging protests for the last several days but the authorities remained unmoved. The interior ministry, which is the parent ministry of both the MCI and CDA, has failed to intervene and resolve the issue.

The sanitation directorate was a part of the CDA but after formation of the MCI it was devolved to the latter. But the MCI, which has around Rs2 billion in its account, has been claiming that since its financial rules have not been approved by the government, it can’t spend the amount collected through various municipal charges.

“Since we have no financial rules, the CDA on the direction of the federal government is supposed to pay salaries to the contractor for paying salaries to the sanitary workers,” Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz had told Dawn on Sunday.

The CDA has been showing reluctance in releasing funds saying the MCI was responsible for paying the salaries to its sanitation staff.

But despite its reluctance, the civic agency earlier this year had paid millions of rupees to the contractor for paying salaries to the sanitary workers but only after the workers staged protests.

CDA officials claimed that the mayor last year had paid Rs130 million to the sanitary staff but after January he stopped paying the salaries.

When asked if was not the responsibility of the CDA why it paid salaries to the staff after facing protests, a senior officer of the CDA said: “Paying salaries to sanitary workers is not the job of CDA but being the ‘elder brother’ we used to release funds.” He said the mayor should look into the affairs of the directorate which had been devolved to it.

CDA releases Rs30m

Sanitation Director Sardar Khan Zimri told Dawn that the CDA had on Thursday approved Rs30 million which were released to the contractor for paying salaries to workers on Monday.

He said the protest at Faisal Avenue was called off after half an hour when the contractor assured the protesters that they would be paid the salaries tonight.

“Right now, salaries are being paid to the staff,” he said, adding only the salary for November was pending.

“Today, the protest was for bonus as the contractor was willing to pay one month’s salary plus the Christmas bonus but the protesters were demanding their pending bonus of Easter,” the director said and claimed that issue had been resolved.

Sources in the MCI and CDA said though the issue was resolved today it could emerge soon as millions of rupees of the contractor were still pending towards MCI/CDA.

Until this matter is resolved at part of the interior ministry, the sanitary workers will take to the streets for release of their salaries next month too.

“CDA is rightly saying that it has nothing to do with the sanitation directorate of MCI. But the MCI says it has no rules to spend fund. As a result, the sanitary workers and citizens of Islamabad are suffering. The interior ministry must resolve the issue once and for all,” said an officer, working for a partially devolved department.

Sources in CDA also said the civic agency had decided to refer the outsourcing of the contract of sanitation directorate to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

“We have come to know that the workforce which is shown on paper is not deployed in the field. There is something fishy behind all these contract affairs as several officials are posted there for years,” said a senior officer of the CDA, who requested not to be named.

He said a formal letter would be sent to NAB on Tuesday.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2019