WASA officers booked for water charges scam

They had allegedly cleared security of a contractor without making due deductions

RAWALPINDI:

The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) registered cases against two employees of the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) and a contractor over non-payment of outstanding water charges incurred on the Red Crescent building being used as a wedding hall.

Red Crescent Ex-Secretary Dr Tahir Sharif said that the contractor, Sanaullah, used the Red Crescent building as a wedding hall. After completion of the contract term, the contractor demanded his security deposit without clearing water dues worth Rs1.7 million.

The complainant asserted that the deposit was illegally credited to Sanaullah’s account with the alleged collusion of Wasa employees.

However, sources in the agency told The Express Tribune that a technical committee had run an inquiry into the matter and suggested the imposition of correct tariff rate on Red Crescent hall as the billing was previously being done according to the tariff of a tube well connection.

The changes in tariffs were made after the findings of the committee however the contractor was exonerated from clearing dues due to faulty billing.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2020.