SUKKUR, April 15 People of Sukkur City taluka have no choice but to live amid heaps of garbage, overflowing drain water, broken roads and mushrooming growth of encroachments.

It is due to a tug of war between three influential persons that the Sukkur City taluka municipal administration seems to have lost control over its officials.

Subordinates, even sweepers, refuse to obey the orders of their officers because of political affiliations with one group or the other. Differences over transfers and postings of favourite officers has deepened the situation.

This story is not new. Since the introduction of the local government system and political influences on the system has made it a curse instead of blessing. Corruption takes its toll on the system right from the appointment of a sweeper to awarding contract for development work.

Ironically, some 40 per cent employees, including the city taluka municipal officer, enjoy support of a powerful federal minister while 35 per cent are backed by government's coalition partner and the remaining 25 per cent are being supported by a newly-elected senator. Whatever the case may be, this tug of war between the three giants of Sukkur make people to sufferer.

Inside sources said the city taluka council had awarded contract of sanitation to a private contractor for Rs2.5 million per month in the 11 union councils of the city. According to the agreement, the contractor is bound to appoint 20 sweepers in every union council, but sources claim that the contractor had appointed only four to five sweepers in every union council.

Besides this, the taluka council authorities have given their sweepers to the contractor for the purpose.

The TMA has generously given their refuse lorries and wheelbarrows to the contractor and also pay the contractor their fuel and maintenance charges. Though it is the responsibility of the contractor.

According to the sources, in January 2009 after a hue and cry of members, the sanitation contract system was cancelled, but Rs2.5 millions monthly payment to the contractor is not stopped.

The sources claimed that every nazim of union council was paid Rs120,000 per month for development works in his area. Of this, Rs24,000 per month went in the pocket of taluka nazim while Rs10,000 per month was being pocketed by taluka naib nazim, they said. The remaining amount is not properly utilised in the union councils.

The sources said there were 320 fulltime sweepers with the taluka council city. But 200 ghost sweepers also had been appointed at Rs4,500 per month and their salaries were being pocketted by the high-ups of the taluka council.

When contacted, taluka nazim Sukkur city Mohammad Naeem Siddiqui rejected allegations of corruption on his part, but admitted that political influence was very much there. He said that two pressure groups of the PPP were interfering in the administrative matters of the TMA. Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, he said, was a sensible person and could be motivated through positive talks.

But Senator Islamuddin Shaikh and his son MNA Nauman Shaikh interfered too much and even bypassed the nazim other local government officials in some matters, he said.

He described MPA Dr Nasrullah Baloch as a cool person and added that he avoided creating problems.

Admitting allegation of favouritism, Naeem Siddiqui said ministers, senators, MNAs and MPAs wanted to carry out development works in their areas on priority, which imbalanced the chalked out plans.

He said the taluka municipal council, Sukkur, had limited funds. How could they pocket money from the fund unable to disburse salaries to its employees on time.

He said the sanitation contract system was continuing in some areas as due to a fiscal crisis, the administration owed some money to the contractor. They could not end his contract without clearing his dues, he said.