PESHAWAR: The Tehsil Municipal Administrations (TMAs) in tribal districts financial shortage and no funds are available to pay salaries for October.
The officials of TMAs said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finance department has sought details of expenditure but so no funds have been released. The officials said that they are in contact with the department but have not yet received any favorable response.
According to the sources three TMAs of District Kurram – upper Kurram, Lower Kurram and central Kurram – are facing the financial crisis. Similarly, the Mirali, Miranshah, Razmak Tehsils of North Waziristan and Wana, Sarokai, Ladha Tehsil of South Waziristan also unable to pay employees’ salaries because of financial crisis.
Khar and Nawagai Tehsils in Bajaur, Khyber, Jamrud, Landi Kotal and Bara Teshsil in Khyber, Upper Mohmand, Lower Mohmand, Baizai TMAs in Mohmand and Upper Orakzai and Lower Orakzai of Orakzai tribal district are also hit by the financial crisis.
The sources said that several TMAs of southern districts of the province are also facing financial crisis. The TMAs were issued Rs6 million grant in July but it was hardly enough to pay the staff salaries. The sources said that most of the TMAs in tribal districts have limited sources of earnings and are only depended on government funding. The TMAs have issued letters to the local council board to release funds without further delay.
The local council board said that efforts are underway to provide funds to the TMAs. The officials said that work is also underway to make the TMAs able to earn its expenditures. The officials said that the issue will be tabled before the KP secretary finance to the release funds so that the salaries of the staff could be paid.
The provincial government has also imposed ban on issuing development funds to the TMAs until the completion of local government elections process.