RAWALPINDI, Sept 9: The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) has delayed revision of water tariff for 2002-2003, well-placed sources told Dawn.

The board water supply officials had prepared a new water tariff structure for the consumers that was supposed to be enforced in the current budget 2002-2003. The new tariff proposes about two-fold increase in water charges, it has been learnt.

The sources said the decision to pend revision of water tariff had been taken due to fears of strong protests from the cantonment residents, who recently faced a multi-fold increase in property taxes. The raise in property tax had also resulted in strong protests from the people.

According to official sources, increase in water tariff was long overdue as charges had not been revised for the last five years. The cantonment board spends about ten times more than its recovery from this sector, an RCB official said.

The total expenditures that the civic body incurs on water supply, electricity bills and maintenance of the system is about Rs100 million, whereas its total annual income from this sector hardly reaches Rs30 million, an official said.