LAHORE: Among various civic agencies in the Lahore metropolitan city, the total layout of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) annual budget for the fiscal year 2025-26 has surged to Rs75.5 billion, leaving the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) behind.

This happened after Wasa’s administrative control was shifted from LDA to the newly-established Punjab Water and Sanitation Authority (Pwasa). The new body took over administrative, functional and operational control of Wasas in Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Multan in March.

“After the establishment of Pwasa, the Lahore Wasa has been in focus in terms of provision of funds. Though, last year’s budget of Rs34.5 billion, approved by the LDA’s governing body, was also considerable, its 2025-26 budget consists of Rs75.5 billion. The increase is due to the inclusion of a record number of development schemes of water and sanitation under the Lahore Development Programme (LDP),” a senior official explained while talking to Dawn on Sunday. “Wasa’s budget (Rs75.5) billion has been approved by its board and now it is with the Pwasa for approval it in its upcoming meeting,” he added.

He said LDA’s annual budget of Rs59 billion was also approved in a meeting of its governing body. In the same meeting, the annual budget of Rs3 billion for the Traffic Engineering & Transport Planning Agency (Tepa) was also approved. The LDA budget includes allocation of Rs20 billion for construction of new structure-plan roads. A sum of Rs16.5 billion are expected to be received through commercialisation fee, fines, building plans approval fee, NOCs etc. “The total development and non-development expenditures have been estimated to be Rs23.3 billion and 24.3 billion respectively,” he added.

Agency’s budget more than doubles from Rs34.5bn in previous year; Record number of schemes under LDP on the cards

MCL’s Rs21.096 billion annual budget expects receipts and expenditures amounting to Rs21.096 billion and Rs20.041 billion, reflecting Rs1.054 billion as surplus. A sum of Rs7.5 billion has been allocated for salary, another Rs2 billion are earmarked for new development schemes and Rs1.5 billion for ongoing schemes. A total of Rs1.3 billion have been allocated for electricity bills, Rs550 million for fuel of over 200 MCL vehicles and Rs300 million for purchase of new street lights.

SAHULAT BAZAAR: Price Control and Commodities Management Department Secretary Dr Ehsan Bhutta has said that the Punjab government has started executing 15 Sahulat-on-the-Go bazaars in Lahore to provide essential commodities at affordable prices to citizens.

Speaking to officers on Sunday during an on-site visit to check the progress of Sahulat-on-the-Go bazaar at Gulshan Ravi, Mr Bhutta said that Price Control and Commodities Management Department aimed to benefit daily wage earners and lower-income households by promoting a structured market system, enhanced accessibility, and regulating prices to curb profiteering, ultimately providing relief to citizens amid rising inflation.

Mr Bhutta emphasised the government’s focus on ensuring quality construction, instructing the Sahulat Bazaar Authority to use high-quality materials, conduct regular testing, and implement safety measures such as bamboo barriers around electricity poles and greenery to enhance the environment. He also directed to check quality through testing material like concrete cylinders from established labs of UET.

On this occasion, Sahulat Bazaar Authority General Manager Roshan Zamir told the secretary that seven sites were already under development at Gulshan Ravi, Shadman, Madar-e-Millat Road Township, Faisal Town Kotha Pind, Manga Mandi Multan Road, and Raiwind near Sabzi Mandi.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2025