Mayoral powers: Govt decides to amend Sindh LG Act again

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to make amendments to the local government (LG) Act once again for further empowering the mayors, ARY News reported on Sunday.

The Sindh government decided to establish water and sewerage corporations in Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpur Khas and Nawabshah. The staffers of water and sewerage corporations will be headed by the local governments.

The provincial government took the decision for transferring municipal powers to the grassroots level. Mayor Kashir Shoro will become the chairman of Hyderabad’s water and sewerage corporation.

The Sindh LG Act 2023 will be amended again by the provincial government and the amendments will be sent to the Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori after being passed by the Sindh Assembly.

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In July, the Sindh cabinet had approved key amendments to the Local Government Act for empowering the LG institutions, mayors and UC chairmen.

The Sindh cabinet approved the LG Act amendments to hand over powers to the mayors and UC chairmen to head the development authorities in their respective divisions and districts across the province.

Following the LG Act amendments, the Karachi mayor became ex officio of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), Lyari Development Authority (LDA) and Malir Development Authority (MDA).

The Hyderabad mayor became the chairman of the Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA).

The chief executive of the regional solid waste management will be appointed among three shortlisted officers with the consultation of the concerned mayor.

The Karachi mayor became the ex officio of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KW&SB) and one of the three shortlisted officers will be appointed as the chief executive of the water board with the consultation of the mayor.

The chairman of the concerned council became the ex officio of the Sehwan Development Authority (SDA). Additionally, the employees of all development authorities across Sindh will work on the orders of the concerned councils.