RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has not included any mega projects for residents in the annual budget for the fiscal year 2018-19 such as a system for supplying clean drinking water, a graveyard, a sanitation system or a better system for issuing birth and death certificates.

The board approved a budget of Rs3.363 billion for the fiscal year 2018-19, a major portion of which will be spent on paying RCB officials. Only Rs175 million has been set aside for water supply projects.

The budget session was held on Tuesday with Station Commander Brig Shahzad Tanveer in the chair while 12 elected members, led by RCB Vice President Malik Munir, and the same number of nominated members from the military and civilian bureaucracy were also present.

No funds allocated for education, health or other civic facilities such as graveyards, drinking water supply system

RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Sabtain Raza presented the budget, which was approved by the board without any objections. The annual budget will be forwarded to the Military Lands and Cantonment Rawalpindi region director for final approval in a day or two.

Presenting the budget, Mr Raza said no new tax had been levied and that there will be no change in property tax and the water tariff in the next fiscal year. He said that uplift projects worth Rs175 million will be launched in 10 wards of the cantonment areas equally without any discrimination.

The civic body has estimated the total receipts are expected to stand at Rs1.2 billion from property taxes and other fees while earnings for the civic body from other sources was estimated at Rs1.8 billion.

Rs1.272 billion has been allocated for the salaries and allowances of the staff, Rs833 million has been set aside for contingencies, Rs474 million for miscellaneous expenditure and Rs190 million for repair and maintenance.

According to the plan, the civic agency will generate Rs1.589 billion from fees and taxes, Rs621 million from commercial and residential properties apart from taxes and Rs225 million from water fees. It will make Rs750 million from property tax, Rs7 million from trade and professional tax, Rs350 million from transfer and immovable property tax and Rs15 million from building plans.

Rs1.5 million will be earned from fines imposed on shops and commercialisation including Rs70 million from hoarding charges.

RCB spokesperson Qaiser Mehmood told Dawn the civic agency will spend Rs175 million on new projects for roads, streets and water supply lines while Rs221 million have been allocated for ongoing projects.

“The major chunk of the development funds will be spent on water supply schemes as the area has been facing water shortage for the last many years, especially in the summers,” he said.

Meanwhile, no funds have been allocated for education, health and other civic facilities. The elected members did not raise civic issues, especially of the lack of graveyards for the civilian population in the cantonment areas.

Civilian graves are not allowed in the army graveyard near Race Course Park.

“The RCB had to allocate funds for the establishment of a new graveyard but this is not reflected in the annual budget,” a senior RCB official said.

He said the sanitation branch was limited to cleaning areas in and around army installations and work in the civilian populated areas were ignored for the past two years, though the civic agency collects a fee from residents.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2018