Financial plan 2012-13: RDA proposes over Rs1b budget for development

[Salman]

Financial plan 2012-13: RDA proposes over Rs1b budget for development

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has proposed over Rs1 billion budget for the financial year 2012-13. The budget is likely to be presented on July 12.

According to the proposed document, the authority has set a target of Rs1.165 billion against a total expenditure of Rs1.157 billion showing a surplus of Rs7.69 million.

The civic agency will receive major chunk of the revenue, Rs919.12 million, from the Punjab government for the Annual Development Plan (ADP), and generate the remaining amount through its own sources.

RDA will initiate three new development schemes in the city under the ADP. Among them is the much-awaited Leh Expressway, for which the authority has set aside Rs250 million and the Punjab government has allocated Rs5 billion for the project. The chief minister during his recent visit to the city gave his formal nod to start work on the stalled project. The funds will be used for preliminary work in the first phase.

The construction of two tunnels under the old Railway Bridge is another major project proposed in the budget for which the authority has earmarked Rs352.1 million.

In addition to that, RDA has set aside Rs90 million for the construction of a railway underpass at Shah Khalid Colony.

Moreover, an amount of Rs102.45 million has been earmarked for carrying out different development schemes in the city. However, it is still unclear whether the projects — the RDA Business Heights at Sherpa Colony and RDA Housing Society — will be initiated or not.

An RDA official said that the Business Heights project had been stalled due to some litigation on land ownership in Sherpao Colony and construction work will only begin when the case is resolved. Regarding the housing society, the official said the authority has been in search of land as well as investors.

Apart from development projects, the RDA will spend Rs135.77 million, nearly 11.65% of the total outlay, on non-development expenditure that include payment of salaries, pensions and other allowances.

The authority has been unable to increase its income through any development schemes for the past several years and has been taking economical measures to meet its increasing non-development expenses.

Last year, the authority completed a parking plaza in Raja Bazaar at a cost of Rs180 million but is yet to generate income from the project. As far as taxes are concerned, the authority has not increased its taxes on transfer of land for the past three years.

Wasa budget

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) also passed its annual budget of Rs922 million on Wednesday. The agency has set aside Rs130 million for its electricity bills and Rs60 million for salaries and repair of damaged pipelines. Wasa is currently facing a deficit of Rs300 million and its income is heavily dependent on the Punjab government. The agency will receive Rs90 million as grant from the provincial government for repairing of sewerage lines. For dredging and cleansing of all major drains including Leh, the provincial government will provide Rs20 million to the a