Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bans diversion of municipal salary and pension grants
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has barred the use of salary and pension grants for TMA and Capital Metropolitan Government staff on development work. Municipal employees received full salaries on the first of the month for the first time in several years.
- Salary and pension grants for TMA and Capital Metropolitan Government staff cannot be spent on development or other work.
- Officials who divert the funds face disciplinary action.
- Local Government Department staff were paid in full on the first of the month.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has banned the use of grants released for the salaries and pensions of employees of Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) and the Capital Metropolitan Government on development schemes or any other unrelated spending. The Local Government Department issued a statement on the decision.
According to the Urdu-language report by Daily Pakistan, the notification was issued by Local Council Board Secretary Khizar Hayat on the direction of Asif Rafiq, the Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Communications. All relevant authorities have been told to enforce the orders strictly.
The department said it had received complaints from most districts that salary and pension funds were being spent on development schemes and other activities. As a result, municipal employees went without pay for months, according to the reports.
Employees responded with strikes, demonstrations and protests to demand their dues, the reports said.
Under the new rules, salary and pension grants may be used only for the purpose for which they are released. The Express Tribune reported that the grants are ring-fenced and cannot be re-appropriated under any circumstances.
TMAs or metropolitan governments that divert the money will face disciplinary proceedings. Action will be initiated against the Tehsil Municipal Officer, the Finance Officer and the TOI for violations.
The reports say practical instructions from the Adviser to the Governor and the Secretary of the Local Council Board have already produced results. All Local Government Department employees received full salaries on the first of the month, after several years of irregular payments. Municipal employees across the province expressed relief and satisfaction, and the department says compliance will be closely monitored.
Why it matters
Municipal employees across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa depend on these grants for their monthly salaries and pensions. For many of them, pay had been delayed for months, and some staff took to the streets to demand it. The ban is meant to ensure that pay and pension money reaches them on the first of each month. Employees reported receiving full salaries on time this month for the first time in several years.
