KARACHI, June 27: An over Rs15.7174 billion balanced budget for the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) was approved by its governing body on Friday. Sindh Minister for Local Government Agha Siraj Durrani, who is also chairman of the board, presided over the meeting.

An amount of Rs2,057 million has been earmarked under the head of establishment charges and Rs5,939 million as the operational cost. A sum of Rs345 million has been allocated for contingencies; Rs498 million for repairs and maintenance; Rs1,016 million for development works; and Rs206 million has been shown as liabilities towards the repair/maintenance and development works undertaken during the outgoing fiscal.

According to the budget document, the utility will generate Rs3,500 million under the head of the water and sewerage charges and expects to receive Rs2,365 million from the federal and provincial governments as the arrears outstanding against them.

The board also anticipates receipt of Rs225 million from the city government against the cleaning of storm-water drains and another amount of Rs108 million incurred on desilting of nullahs. The CDGK will release Rs890 million to the utility under the head of subsidy and another amount of Rs437 million to meet the annual salary bill pertaining to the 6,000 newly-appointed employees of the utility.

The governing body adopted several resolutions urging the federal government to expedite funding for the K-IV water project and sanction 1,200 cusecs from the Indus source up to 2025. It also urged the KESC not to include its pumping stations and other installations in the load-shedding programme as the federal government had exempted them from load-shedding.

The meeting resolved to set the KWSB accounts straight to avoid any financial indiscipline, and urged the Sindh government and CDGK to pay off the KWSB dues outstanding against them.

Later, talking to newsmen, Mr Durrani clarified that the chief minister had kept in abeyance the order canceling the appointment of the 6,000 employees recruited during the caretaker government’s tenure. However, a final decision to this effect would be taken shortly, he added.