SWABI: Local Government Employees Federation provincial president Anwar Kamal Khan and chairman Shaukat Ali Anjum said here on Thursday that transparent investigation should be conducted into financial irregularities and corruption in tehsil municipal administration (TMA) Mardan.

They told journalists after a meeting that a total of 35 TMA workers could not get regular salaries and pensions during the last one year. They said that the employees staged protest demonstrations but the issue remained unresolved. They said that government knew that officials were enjoying liberty to get funds and spend the same according to their well.

They alleged that Rs4.6 million temporary advanced (amount) withdrawn by officials of TMA Mardan on different names but the amount was not adjusted. The adjustment bills might be submitted to regularise expenditures and avoid complications they added.

They said that a team of Local Council Board raised objections during its visit to Mardan on Tuesday while inspecting withdrawal of temporary advances by the officials.

The council members, they said, demanded that such advances should be stopped by the government to avoid more financial irregularities in future.

Mr Anjum said that the officials responsible for withdrawing the money should be taken to task. “They have not been brought to justice and neither have they been punished nor the amount have been recovered from the officials and the incident proved that a corrupt mafia is responsible for making local bodies financially weak and bankrupt,” he added.

The office-bearers of Local Government Employees Federation appealed to chief minister to have mercy on poor employees and their children, a special team should be formed to conduct a transparent investigation into irregularities in Mardan TMA.

An official of Mardan TMA, when contacted, said that it was revealed that a large number of advances (amount) were withdrawn in the names of Class-IV employees in most of the TMAs.

According to Local Government Audit letter, lakhs of rupees have been withdrawn for Mega Park and Solar Expo and employees are unaware of it.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2025