ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of private sanitation workers, associated with contractors hired by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) have been waiting for their salaries for several months.

The delay in their salaries has raised question marks on CDA’s efficiency as it has not released payment to contractors, who subsequently stopped the salaries.

Resultantly, the workers, who were supposed to collect trash from rural areas, are on a strike against the CDA.

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“This issue should be resolved on priority basis and action should be taken against those responsible for this delay,” said an official of the sanitation directorate.

“It seems baboos have no interest in poor people like us. We are already getting very meagre salary but for the last few years we got nothing from contractors,” said a sanitation worker deputed in Bhara Kahu.

Meeting reviews work on ongoing development projects in capital

Wishing not to be named because of fear of losing his job, he said that amid high inflation “this is great injustice with us.”

The CDA in urban areas collects garbage through its own staff and with hired machinery while in rural areas such as Tarnol and Bhara Kahu it has hired private contractors to collects trash.

Sources said that every year CDA spent over two billion rupees on garbage collection and there was a need for a special audit of the sanitation directorate.

“Chairman CDA should conduct an audit of the fiscal year 2023-24,” said an official, adding many officials wanted to be appointed in the sanitation directorate and whenever someone is posted out he makes all-out efforts for reposting in this directorate.

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“There is a need to check credentials of all officials posted over there. The Administration Directorate should also check posting tenures of officials,” an official said.

When contacted, CDA’s director media Shahid Kayani said that the payment issue of the sanitation contractor was going to be resolved within a few days as “today their files have been approved and sent to the finance wing for release of payment,” he said.

Meanwhile, while chairing a meeting on development projects, CDA Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa was briefed on integrated solid waste management for Islamabad. According to CDA, the meeting was informed that the inception report on solid waste management had been reviewed while work on the bidding documents was underway.

A press release said that the CDA chief chaired a meeting to oversee and review the progress on ongoing development projects in Islamabad.

The meeting also discussed two much-delayed projects — Blue Area Parking Plaza and Park Road.

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According to a press release, the CDA chairman was also briefed on the progress of Parking Plaza project. He was informed that grey structure work had been completed and finishing and façade work was pending.

This project was started in March 2022 and was supposed to be completed in March 2023 to resolve the growing parking issue in Blue Area.

Sources in engineering wing said the remaining work could be completed within one month provided payment issues between contractor of the project, NLC, and CDA were settled. The chairman directed to resolve all pending issues with the contractor and expedite the remaining work on the project.

The same contractor had constructed Bhara Kahu bypass and work to connect underpasses with each other was still pending causing problems for citizens.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, the issue of Park Road project also came under discussion and it was told that the road was near completion.

Sources said that the CDA chairman directed the contractor to complete the project by the end of this month. This project was supposed to be completed in December last year.

The meeting also discussed Islamabad Expressway. It was told that the main project of widening of the road up to GT road had been completed. However, construction of 300 metres loops/patchwork (not part of the project) was now being carried out.

Regarding the development of Serena Chowk and Jinnah Avenue interchanges, the meeting was told that work on both projects was going on at full pace. The meeting was also told that digging for the construction of the underpass for 9th Avenue project had almost been completed and initial concrete laid down in the underpass.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2024