Funding cut jolts Punjab's new WASAs

33 water bodies receive Rs99.24m each after Rs500m seed funding pledge reduced

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab government's decision to sharply reduce the promised seed funding for its 36 newly established Water and Sanitation Authorities (WASAs) has triggered widespread concern among officials, who warn that the move could severely undermine the authorities' operational capacity and delay planned development projects.

According to official documents, the provincial government had originally approved Rs500 million in seed funding for each of the newly created WASAs to enable them to meet initial administrative and operational expenses. However, during the first quarter of the 202627 financial year, the allocation has been substantially reduced.

Under the revised funding plan, 33 of the 36 WASAs will each receive Rs99.24m, while the remaining three authoritiesestablished in Talagang, Taunsa and Kot Adduhave been allocated Rs75m each.

Although the Punjab government has approved a total of Rs3.49 billion in seed funding for the new authorities, the amount will be released in phases through a Technical Supplementary Grant (TSG), subject to the completion of all statutory, financial and administrative formalities.

The reduction has caused considerable unease among officials serving in the newly established authorities, many of whom believe the revised allocation is insufficient to meet even basic operational and establishment costs.

Officials fear the financial constraints could significantly hamper day-to-day administration and delay, or even halt, planned development schemes.

Sources said the uncertainty surrounding funding has prompted several officers to explore transfers to other government departments, amid concerns that the newly created WASAs may struggle to function effectively if the financial limitations persist.

A circular issued by Section Officer Amjad Khawar Hayat Cheema of the Punjab Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department confirmed that the Finance Department had approved Rs3.49b as seed funding for the 36 newly established WASAs during the current financial year.

The circular stated that the funding would be released through the Technical Supplementary Grant mechanism to cover initial establishment and operational expenditure against equivalent surrenders.