MCI confronted with administrative issues as LG polls nowhere in sight.

ISLAMABAD -- In the absence of a local government, the municipal authority of the capital is facing administrative issues with the relevant officer and his boss leveling serious allegations against each other.

With the local government (LG) elections due in Islamabad since May 2022, the affairs of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) are currently being looked after by the administrator, who is the deputy commissioner (DC) of Islamabad.

The Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) has been facing administrative issues amid allegations of corrupt practices for the last few years. Last week, the MCI's administrator, DC Irfan Nawaz Memon, removed the director and deputy director of DMA on corruption charges.

The director was replaced by an officer of the CDA, but on court orders Shakeel Arshad, the director, is set to get back his charge on Wednesday.

Mr Arshad alleged that he and his colleague were illegally removed, adding that a 19 grade administrator could not remove him as he was also an officer of grade 19. He said only the interior ministry could do it, pointing out that the deputy commissioner had no valid notification for holding the charge of the administrator as the order had lapsed in November.

Administrator, directorlevel allegations against each other; official removed a few days ago obtains stay order

The director also accused the administrator of misconduct, saying that on several files he (administrator) in writing had stopped him from further proceedings. He said due to inaction on some files, an audit pointed out Rs138 million loss for not auctioning the parking lot adjacent to Centaurus Mall in Blue Area and Rs67 million loss for not auctioning the G-9 bus terminal.

He said it was the administrator who had in writing stopped him from auctioning a restaurant in Lake View Park and shops in F-8 flower market.

It may be noted that while removing the two officials, the administrator in writing had leveled serious corruption allegations against both the director and his deputy, who were serving in the MCI on deputation.

The statement of allegations said the conduct of these officers was not satisfactory and they were involved in corruption and corrupt practices. It said they allegedly manipulated a file by using the photocopied approval of the administrator from another file for allocation of Rs9,855,780 for decoration/indoor venue arrangements before the opening of the green, blue and orange lines metro bus routes...