RAWALPINDI: Relying on grants from the Punjab government and not taking steps for improving its sources of income, the Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on Tuesday approved an annual budget worth Rs1.913 billion for the fiscal year 2017-18.

The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) approved a deficit budget of Rs3.061 billion with a revenue shortfall of Rs1.053 billion. Acting Commissioner Talat Mehmood Gondal, who is also acting RDA director general, approved RDA`s and Wasa`s budgets for 2017-18.

The RDA`s budget was presented by RDA Director Administration and Finance Junaid Taj Bhatti and Wasa`s budget was presented by its Finance Director Amir Ashfaq.

RDA`s budget The outlay of the RDA`s budget is Rs1.913 billion of which Rs1.680will be received from the Punjab government under the Punjab annual development program for uplift schemes across the city.

The RDA will be generating Rs235 million from commercialisation, building plan approvals and no-objection certificate fee collected from private housing schemes which will be spent on non-development expenses including paying officers their salaries and paying utility bills for offices.

`The RDA planned to develop a housing scheme in Adiala Village and to construct a plaza near Liaquat Bagh to generate money in this fiscal year which is not possible as the land proposed for the housing scheme is part of a sewerage treatment plant project and the purpose ofthe land cannot be changed,` a senior RDA official said.

The Rs1.68 billion given by the Punjab government has been allocated for development works including the remodelling of the Double RoadLJ.P Road Junction, which is estimated to cost Rs10 million.

Signal free movement will beensured at Liaquat Bagh and Marrir Chowk Murree Road at an estimated cost of Rs7 million.

Qadeer Khan Road will be made dual from the Islamabad Highway to the Falcon Complex at an estimated cost of Rs23 million.

The construction, widening and improvement of Dry Port Road from the Rahimabad Flyover on Airport Road to Welfare Complex via Chaklala Railway Station Shell Depot is expected to cost Rs100 million and the remodelling of Ammar Chowk is expected to cost Rs129 million.

The DG RDA directed for work to be initiated on the RDA Housing Scheme and RDA Complex. No new taxes have been levied and current taxes have not been increased for the current fiscal year.

Lapsed funds Funds worth Rs1.353 billion for the metro bus project lapsed due to non-utilisation and Rs1.01 billion allocated for paying contractors lapsed in 2015-16 which the RDA is yet to get back.The Rs353 million allocated for paying off metro bus project contractors also lapsed on June 30 this year.

`The Punjab government will be requested to give the money back,` said RDA Finance Director Juniad Taj Bhatti.

Wasa`s budget The outlay for Wasa`s budget is Rs3.061 with a deficit of Rs1.053.

Of this budget, Rs401 million will be spent on paying employees their salaries and Rs1.592 will be spent on the operation and maintenance of the water supply system.

Wasta is to generate Rs740 million from its own sources including water charges from domestic and commercial consumers as well as bulk consumers such as the Pakistan Army.

The Punjab government will be providing Rs200 million in subsidies for not increasing water charges for domestic, commercial and bulk consumers.

The agency will also get Rs274 million from its share of theWorld Bank loan under the Punjab Cities Governance Improvement Project.

To meet the deficit, the agency will seek help from the provincial government to provide a bailout pacl(age.

The Punjab government will provide Rs2.660 billion under its annual development program for the improvement of water supply lines and the sewerage system as well as for the installation of tube wells and water filtration plants.

Rs121 million will be spent on improving old and rusty water supply lines, Rs150 million on sewerage systems in union councils 74, 75, 76 and 77. Rs172 million will be spent on the construction of retaining walls and dredging Leh Nullah, Rs100 million on the supply of water from Chehan Dam, Rs30 million on upgrading Girja Road, Rs20 million on the disinfection of water from tube wells and Rs100 million on the water supply lines in Kahkhashan Colony, Bank Colony, Mohammadi Colony and Khayaban-i-Jinnah.