WASA seeks Rs50m bailout for paying power bills
Punjab govt gave Rs300m to cash-strapped agency in April
PHOTO: EXPRESS
RAWALPINDI:
The cash-strapped Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is again knocking at the door of the provincial government seeking a multimillion bailout package to pay its electricity bills.
Punjab government will give Wasa a second bailout package worth Rs50 million in the current year, said an official of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).
It had received Rs300 million in April to run its affairs, though it fails to provide either water or sanitation.
The provincial government is giving the current package is being given for payment of electricity bills amounting in millions of rupees. The responsibility to administer the bailout package has been handed over to the new chairman of RDA Tariq Murtaza. Earlier, former chairman Arif Abbasi had taken the package from Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
Surviving on life support system, Wasa was unable to sustain itself without liquidity injections from the provincial government.
Despite the first bailout package, the financial crisis of Wasa has not ended and continues to increase, causing the water authority to face severe difficulties in paying electricity bills in excess of Rs50 million.
Wasa has also failed miserably to store water, build new water tanks and clean existing tanks that supply water to the city throughout the summer.
The campaign to install recycling plants at car wash service stations has also failed, sources in Punjab government told The Express Tribune, adding that provincial government will not give any other financial bailout package to Wasa.
CCB warns tax defaulters
Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) has issued red notices to property tax defaulters.
The board has warned property tax defaulters that strict action will be taken against them if they fail to pay the dues. During the crackdown the CCB authorities may seal the properties as well as arrest and impose hefty fines on tax evaders.
CCB Secretary Syed Hasnain Hameed said that the board will sends cases of property tax defaulters to the cantonment magistrate for action against them. The magistrates will impose fine on defaulter’s properties. The board also decided to retain 10% discount on property taxes till June 30, 2020. The cantonment secretary urged the citizens to take advantage of this discount while warning that crackdown will be taken after the said date.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2019.
The cash-strapped Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) is again knocking at the door of the provincial government seeking a multimillion bailout package to pay its electricity bills.
Punjab government will give Wasa a second bailout package worth Rs50 million in the current year, said an official of the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA).
It had received Rs300 million in April to run its affairs, though it fails to provide either water or sanitation.
The provincial government is giving the current package is being given for payment of electricity bills amounting in millions of rupees. The responsibility to administer the bailout package has been handed over to the new chairman of RDA Tariq Murtaza. Earlier, former chairman Arif Abbasi had taken the package from Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.
Surviving on life support system, Wasa was unable to sustain itself without liquidity injections from the provincial government.
Despite the first bailout package, the financial crisis of Wasa has not ended and continues to increase, causing the water authority to face severe difficulties in paying electricity bills in excess of Rs50 million.
Wasa has also failed miserably to store water, build new water tanks and clean existing tanks that supply water to the city throughout the summer.
The campaign to install recycling plants at car wash service stations has also failed, sources in Punjab government told The Express Tribune, adding that provincial government will not give any other financial bailout package to Wasa.
CCB warns tax defaulters
Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) has issued red notices to property tax defaulters.
The board has warned property tax defaulters that strict action will be taken against them if they fail to pay the dues. During the crackdown the CCB authorities may seal the properties as well as arrest and impose hefty fines on tax evaders.
CCB Secretary Syed Hasnain Hameed said that the board will sends cases of property tax defaulters to the cantonment magistrate for action against them. The magistrates will impose fine on defaulter’s properties. The board also decided to retain 10% discount on property taxes till June 30, 2020. The cantonment secretary urged the citizens to take advantage of this discount while warning that crackdown will be taken after the said date.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 16th, 2019.