PHA Rawalpindi details Rs869m surplus budget

Plans to build park in Morgah, two new football grounds in Pindi

RAWALPINDI: The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) of Rawalpindi has prepared a surplus budget for the fiscal year 2017-2018.

The PHA expects to receive Rs869.012 million in the year while spending Rs668. 723 million, a surplus of over Rs200 million.

As far as the authority’s income is concerned, the PHA expects to generate Rs142.777 million from its own sources. The PHA mainly generates funds by auctioning advertisement space on billboards, hoardings, and banners in Rawal Town, Potohar Town and Murree.

The remaining funds, the PHA expects, would be provided by the Punjab government under special grants since the PHA cannot generate sufficient funds to meet its non-developmental expenditures.

As far as expenditures are concerned, the PHA will spend Rs437.716 million on non-developmental expenditures such as paying the salaries for its 500 employees.



The authority plans to spend the remaining Rs231 million on different development projects in the garrison city including the construction of a public park in Morgah, which falls within NA-52 - the National Assembly constituency of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

Curiously, the park had also been included in last year’s budget as well.

Other development works outlined in PHA’s budget include completion of the Shahbaz Sharif Park on Rawal Road. Moreover, two football grounds would be built in the city, with one on Sixth Road and the other inside Shahbaz Sharif Park.

Established in 2011, the PHA was assigned to look after 46 different parks in Rawal Town, Potohar Town, and Murree. Moreover, green areas and belts along the roads were also part of PHA’s responsibilities.

The PHA is expected to present the budgetary proposals to the finance sub-committee of the authority on August 1 for approval.

The final approval of the budget would then be granted at a meeting of the authority’s members after due deliberation.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2017.