Rawalpindi:
The competent authority has approved the Rawal Pindi Cantonment Board’s budget for the financial year 2025-26 with a reduction of RS485.7 million.
The cuts were primarily made in the allocation of various expenses and maintenance and repair work.
According to details, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board had initially passed RS7,436 billion budget in a board meeting for the 10-tip of the densely populated cantoic councils and submitted it to the director of military countries and cantons, the Rawalpindi region, for final approval.
The approved budget includes: RS3,208 billion 2024-25 budget. According to Cantonment Board sources, the Board of Directors achieved 86% performance against last year’s budget targets.
Despite the new budget, residents continue to face serious problems in the County Council Issky in the densely populated back-end sites that contrast sharply with the well-developed front areas. Problems include broken roads and streets, lack of street lighting, poor sanitation, a defective sewer system, intervention, unregulated commercial activity in residential areas and widespread illegal construction.
The most urgent concern is still the lack of access to drinking water. Due to the absence of a proper water supply network, many residents are forced to install private Borewells at their own expense.
Adding to public frustration, Cantonment Board has now increased water supply fees and sanitation taxes by 100% to 200% in the board meeting after the budget.
In protest, members elected out of the session and announced that they would challenge the decision in Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench.
RMC prioritizes uplifting projects
Our correspondent
Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) approved an annual budget worth RS8.80 billion for the 2025-26 financial year with an excess balance of RS442.5 million.
Municipal Company Administrator and Rawal Pindi -Commissioner Engineer Aamir Khattak sanctioned the budget according to detailed discussions on the proposals presented by Chief Officer Imran Ali.
According to the official budget figures, the total resources – consisting of last year’s closing balance, the opening balance for the new financial year and expected revenue collections – are the RS8,80 billion.
Of these, RS2.30 billion has been awarded for non-development expenses, including wages and pensions, with a special provision of RS800 million, reserved solely for pension payments. The development budget is allocated to RS6.04 billion.
The most important assignments during the development budget include RS1.92 billion for ongoing development schemes,
RS1.90 billion for new annual development programs (ADP), RS2 billion earmarked for road blankets and infrastructure rehabilitation, RS176.1 million designated for sports and cultural activities.
During the current financial year, the municipal company plans to prioritize the implementation of several ongoing and new development schemes. These include carpets of urban roads, construction and repair of streets, upgrades to drainage and sewer systems, construction and maintenance of nullahs, installation of street lights and the establishment of an underground cable network in Raja Bazaar and commercial market.
