Wasa announces Rs3.196 billion budget

Rawalpindi: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) announced Rs3.196 billion deficit budget for the year 2019-20 which was approved in a meeting chaired by Chairman, Mohammad Arif Abbasi and presided over by Managing Director, Tanvir Ahmed.

The budget meeting was also attended by other high officials of Wasa. Out of the total allocation of funds earmarked in budget, Wasa has allocated Rs49 billion for developmental work in the Annual Development Funds (ADP).

Wasa has no major project in hand to initiate during the current fiscal year 2019-20 other than working on Chehan Dam for which purpose Rs4 billion have been sanctioned. Giving details of the meeting, official spokesman, Umar Farooq, Media Director told that Wasa would generate revenue estimating Rs1.175 billion during the current fiscal year through different sources. An amount of Rs480 million would be generated through water bills while the Punjab government grants Rs200 million subsidy to this water agency.

Similarly, an amount of Rs360 million would be earned through UIP, Rs22 million through miscellaneous works like water connections etc. Wasa has also allocated Rs762 million for paying electricity charges while Rs706 for meeting office expenditures.

In the current budget no new taxes have been levied against consumers. Moreover, no increase has been made in water tariff charges as well. It merits to mentioning here last fiscal year 2018-19, Wasa was facing deficit of Rs1. 4 billion deficit. Now the deficit has touched to Rs1.575 billion annually.