WASA demands increase in water tariff to overcome financial crunch

Rawalpindi: The financial position of Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) has further worsened only because of the low water tariff which has not been increased for the last 10 years.

Talking exclusively to ‘The News’ on Tuesday, WASA Managing Director Raja Shaukat Mahmood stressed upon the need of increasing the water tariff up to 300 per cent at least. A time has come to raise water tariff to cater with the expenditure of the agency. Due to financial crunch, the situation is getting out of hand and we are finding hard to pay monthly salaries to our employees on time and clear utility bills including electricity and telephone.

The managing director said that the Punjab government pays a subsidy of Rs200 million annually against the total expenditure of Rs750 million. The annual deficit has touched to the tune of Rs1.2 billion which would rise further in the coming years.

Raja Shoukat said either the government of Punjab should raise water tariff or increase annual subsidy enabling the department to become financially strong. Similarly, in other case, the Punjab government should take over the responsibility of paying emoluments including monthly salaries to the WASA employees besides clearing utility bills. If the government agrees on this proposal then the financial situation could be improved even if no increase in water tariff is made.

In the meantime, Chairman, WASA Workers Union (CBA), Raja Javed Hussain also seconded the demand of the managing director with regard to making increase in water rates. The Punjab government should consider upon the financial position existing in WASA which is becoming alarming with each day. Due to late payment of monthly salaries, the union along with employees had staged a protest demonstration in the WASA office recently. However, if the Punjab Chief Minister, Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif do not announce raise in water tariff within next two months, then the union would launch an effective protest movement after which the employees would boycott office and field work.

Raja Javed along with other employees expressed great fear of closure of WASA office in Rawalpindi by summer this year if the financial crunch aggravates further. To prove his point of view, Raja Javed cleared if WASA fails to clear dues of electricity bills then Iesco would suspend power supply of WASA office and the tube-wells in union councils. If tube wells stop operating then the problem of water shortage would certainly occur, making the people to suffer badly. Under these critical circumstances, he demanded of the Punjab government to give a serious consideration to raise water tariff. If in the interest of the people of Rawalpindi, the government is not enhancing water tariff then it should increase annual subsidy by 200 per cent at least or grant annual aid, enabling WASA to come out of the dire straits of finance, he strongly demanded.

Several employees of WASA on condition of anonymity expressed concern over receiving monthly emoluments late. Due to late payment of salaries in paying fees of our children, clearing house rents and meeting monthly budgets. The Punjab government should take serious notice of the matter and initiate measures to rectify the financial problem surfaced in the department, they appealed.