WASA staff still not received salary for October

By Saeed Ahmed
November 13, 2018

Rawalpindi: The staff of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) are highly perturbed as they have still not received salary for October, 2018 as the Punjab government still has not made transaction of their funds allocated in the mini budget announced in September this year.

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Because of not receiving monthly salaries, the employees of Wasa both permanent and contractual basis are facing great financial hardships to meet their expenses like clearing house rents, utility bills, paying fees of their children and house budget as told by them on condition of anonymity condition. The Punjab government pays annual subsidy to Wasa worth Rs200 million in phases. As Wasa has not raised water tariff since last the year 2009 despite rise in charges of electricity and fuel rates it is facing financial crunch over the last one year and the issue of late payment of salaries to employees has erupted over the last six to seven months . If the position remains same then the situation would go out of hand of the management of Wasa to pay salaries to its employees even on monthly basis, said the staff members.

According to reliable sources, Wasa over the last couple of years is facing annual deficit of Rs1.2 billions. Owing to this state of financial crisis, Wasa has demanded a bailout package from the Punjab government amounting to Rs770 million to overcome annual deficit and to meet expenditures. At the same time, the sources said that the Punjab government is also considering upon withdrawing annual subsidy to Wasa like other government departments. The withdrawal of subsidy would force Wasa to raise water tariff to a maximum level of 100 per cent or more to save this water and sewerage agency from total collapse.

Official spokesman to Wasa, Deputy Director, Umar Farooq, agreed to the fact that the employees have still to receive their salaries for the month of October. He told with the transaction of funds in Wasa account by the Punjab government, the process of paying of emoluments to staff would begin immediately. He said that as Wasa forwarded a summary for bailout package worth Rs770 million, the concerned authorities have approved the demand and forwarded a cheque to the related department for releasing amount. He expressed his belief that as soon as bailout package funds are released, Wasa would come out of financial crunch which it is facing over the last 18 months or more. Dilating on withdrawal of subsidy by Punjab government, Umar said if it is withdrawn then Wasa would have no option but to increase water tariff and the burden of it would surface on consumers.

There is a great need to increase water tariff but with the approval of Punjab government, he stressed.

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