HYDERABAD, Sept 29: District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jameel said that provincial government would be approached for clearance of Rs700 million dues of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) outstanding against various government and private consumers.

He was talking to a delegation led by Pakistan People’s Party leader Amanullah Siyal and the president of the Wasa labour union, Rasool Bux Kalhoro, which called on him at his office here on Monday.

The nazim said that huge amounts of Wasa dues had been outstanding against various provincial and federal departments and all-out efforts would be paid for the early recovery of those dues.

He said that the matter was also raised with Sindh Minister for Industries Rauf Siddiqui who had directed the Site to pay its outstanding Wasa dues.

The district nazim said that due to power outages in Hyderabad, the entire system of the Wasa was backed by generators, while additional expenses were also incurred during monsoons. He said that owing to this situation Wasa failed to pay salaries to its employees for two months and the Sindh government was approached for assistance in this regard.

However, he said that the Wasa employees were paid salaries of one month after the 15th of Ramazan

He said that the Wasa in Lahore, Multan, Gujaranwala, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi was getting subsidy from the Punjab government.

He recalled that Wasa Hyderabad was getting subsidy till 1992 but later it was stopped; however, he said the government had been sharing the financial burden of the Wasa through the issuance of grants.