Age-old problems could be resolved with reorganization of system, says City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal

December 1, 2009


By Irfan Aligi

KARACHI: Lifting, dumping and burying 1.2 million offal in three days from the city with 18 million population and 3600-km diameter was a Herculean task that the City District Government Karachi (CDGK) has in association with 18 town municipal administrations and 178 union councils completed. The key impression of that gigantic performance was the result only of restructuring the departments and reorganizing the system, which was learnt through past three years experiences. City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal expressed these views while addressing a press conference at City Nazim’s secretariat on Tuesday.
Kamal said that the CDGK did not bought any new machinery to meet the offal disposal arrangements successfully because the CDGK has already been passing through a tedious era of its history of financial deficit. Nonetheless, all the responsibilities have been executed as per the aspirations of the citizens. This experience has taught a lesson that Pakistan’s age-old problems could only be resolved if the system was sincerely reorganized.
Kamal added that as City Nazim, he had learned through experience that funds alone could do little service but tables could be turned down with strong will and determination, as these two were of pivotal importance in any struggle; so we successfully managed CDGK’s manpower and used machinery at hand on a pure scientific basis with unprecedented example of such fine work.
Kamal thanked City’s Cantonment Boards’ administration for extending their support and using CDGK-marked locations for the dumping of offal as two landfill sites had been closed for offal burial.
Kamal also thanked PAF Air Vice Martial Tahir for his role he had played in this regard and said that offal in past had wreaked havoc on PAF pilots and fighter jets as the birds hovering over the offal lying open on streets had cost life of PAF Base Masroor’s Base Commander. The recent offal arrangements have ensured safety of these two assets of the country.
Kalam said that CDGK officers and workers had spent their Eid on city’s streets and they deserve immediate pecuniary rewards but CDGK’s current financial deficit did not allow any such adventure but as soon as the situation was improved, an award worth Rs 5,000 would be released in favour of them especially to low-cadre workers of grade 1 to 5.
Kamal said that although he had no proof to claim other cities have started their journey on the track of CDGK, but a lot of messages, phone calls and electronic mails confirm that the other cities of the country have also improved offal arrangements in pursuance to CDGK’s efforts, which has created a role model for others.
Kamal while regretting recent act of terrorism in Peshawar said that People should be proud of being Pakistani and by the passage of time, Pakistani Nation has proved that they have built-in character of facing the challenges amid all types of terrorism.