Sindh seeks water dues from Centre

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has voiced serious concerns over Rs20 billion water dues outstanding against Sindh-based federal institutions.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly on Wednesday directed the additional chief secretary for local governments and the CEO of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to formally approach the concerned federal entities to clear their dues.

It was revealed in a PAC meeting, chaired by its Chairman Nisar Khuhro, that the KWSC has not received payments from several federal institutions since 2016. These include Pakistan Steel Mills, Sui Southern Gas Company, Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Pakistan Railways, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), national Shipping Corporation, Port Qasim Authority, Marine Fisheries, various cantonment boards, Karachi Shipyard, Pakistan Machine Tool Factory, Cotton Export Corporation, and others.

Of the total outstanding dues, PSM alone owes Rs10 billion. “This non-payment by federal institutions is tantamount to economic exploitation of Sindh,” Khuhro stated as he criticised the federal government for neglecting Sindh’s rightful dues, adding that the province will not back down from its demands.

The PAC summoned officials from the relevant federal institutions to a meeting on January 21. The committee also urged the prime minister to take immediate notice of the issue and direct the federal entities to settle their outstanding dues.