KARACHI, July 10: The Sindh government has approved the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) budget for the financial year 2008-09 and its revised budget for the fiscal 2007-08, it was officially announced here on Thursday.

An over Rs15 billion balanced budget of the utility was earlier approved by its governing body on June 27.

A sum of Rs2,057 million has been earmarked as the establishment charges and Rs345 million for meeting contingencies. An amount of Rs498.552 million has been spared for repair and maintenance, Rs5,939 million for operational expenditure and Rs1,016 million for development works, which would be generated through the board’s own resources.

Besides, Rs206.029 million has been allocated for making payments for the repair and maintenance works undertaken during 2007-08 and another Rs1,102 million will be paid to contractors under the head of development works accomplished during the last year.

The other major heads for which a substantial amount of Rs4,550 million has been allocated include additional work on K-III project (Rs1,400 million); development works for the 100mgd K-IV water project (Rs700m); development works for the proposed Textile City (Rs800 million); and Greater Karachi Sewerage Plant, known as S-III, (Rs1,180 million).