Government jacks up fees for civic services

In response to the ongoing severe economic and financial crisis, local bodies and municipal committees in the Rawalpindi district have substantially increased various fees, further straining the already beleaguered consumers.

Rates for water, maps, and public services have surged by 300 to 500 per cent, while numerous new fees have been imposed.

A tax on fairs and exhibitions across the district has also been introduced, alongside a 100 per cent hike in fees for advertising vehicle floats of private companies.

The five municipal committees of Rawalpindi district have officially announced these increases. According to the chief officer of the municipal committee in Taxila, the domestic water price has been raised from Rs200 to Rs500 per month, and the commercial water bill has increased from Rs800 to Rs1,500 per month. A new water connection now incurs a fee of Rs2,000.

The connection restoration fee has risen from Rs500 to Rs1,000. The cash security deposit for a domestic water connection has increased from Rs2,000 to Rs4,000, while the commercial security connection fee has jumped from Rs5,000 to Rs10,000.

Additionally, the printed form for connection applications, now mandatory, carries a fee of Rs300. Fees for maps have also seen significant hikes.

The domestic gas map fee has increased from Rs2.25 per square foot to Rs5.15 per square foot, and the commercial gas map fee has surged from Rs5.5 per square foot to Rs20 per square foot.

Industry map fees have risen from Rs3.5 per square foot to Rs20 per square foot, while CNG and petrol pump map fees have increased from Rs5.5 per square foot to Rs20 per square foot.

The mapping license fee has jumped from Rs2,000 to Rs20,000, with the renewal license fee increasing from Rs1,000 to Rs10,000.

The town map fee has been fixed at Rs10,000, and the fee for copying maps has been set at Rs2,000.

Marriage and death fees have also been dramatically increased. The marriage fee has been raised from Rs100 to Rs500, while the certificate of unmarried status now costs Rs1,000. The bride leave certificate fee is Rs1,000, and the divorce registration fee has escalated from Rs200 to Rs4,000. The permit for a second marriage certificate now costs Rs20,000, and the fee for a copy of birth, marriage, death, and divorce certificates is Rs200.

The marriage registrar registration fee has been set at Rs15,000, with the renewal of the marriage registrar register costing Rs10,000.

The union council residence certificate rate has been fixed at Rs2,000, and the fee for a new certificate has been set at Rs200.

The Punjab government, facing the same financial strain, has cut 60 per cent of the support funds for local bodies and issued strict orders for them to become self-sustaining. As part of these austerity measures, a government latrine fee of Rs50 has been established in the district.