KARACHI-Sindh Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed ‘The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation Bill, 2023’ to transform the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) into a corporation with the provincial government aiming at meeting the growing demand of water as well as making it a profitable organization.
The bill, introduced earlier and sent to standing committee on law, parliamentary affairs and human rights, was reported back to the assembly by the committee member, followed by its passage clause-by-clause.
“It is expedient to establish a corporation known as the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation with a view to encompass all the essential components that would transform the utility into a profit making organization and to meet the growing demand of water,” the introduction of the bill read.
It added that the bill was aimed at reducing the non-revenue water in the short, medium and long term that includes robust, accountable and modern management, which will lead the utility in the most apt manner and to rationalize the recovery and tariff. The city mayor would be the chairperson of the corporation while it would also have the chief executive officer appointed by the board for a period of four-year.
The corporation would be empowered to operate on sound commercial practice to ensure that its revenues were sufficient to provide for all operations and maintenance costs including a reasonable return on investment. It would also devise strategic plans for effective and sustainable delivery of potable water and sewage disposal.
The corporation would also collect or recover tariffs rates, charges and fees, indulging betterment fees for water supply, ground water extraction and sewage services including arrears thereof and otherwise ensure its financial sustainability.
Through a bill, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation was empowered to outsource supply of water and maintenance of sewerage or any ancillary service including communications, complaint management and the recovery of user fees and charges from all consumers in low-income areas and Katchi Abadis.
Shaheed recognition bill
Meanwhile, the assembly also passed The Shaheed Recognition and Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, making any person who sacrificed his life while discharging official duties in an act of violence entitled to ‘Shaheed’.
The house also passed Al-Kawthar University Bill, 2023 for establishing a varsity at Karachi. Separately, it also passed The Sindh Workers Welfare Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Earlier during the Question Hour, not a single out of 12 questions pertaining to college education could be answered as all the movers were absent.
The questions were tabled by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khurram Sher Zaman, Dr Seema Zia, Adeeba Hassan, Rabia Azfar Nizami and Muhammad Shabbir; Grand Democratic Alliance’s Nusrat Sehar Abbasi and Arif Mustafa Jatoi and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan parliamentary leader Rana Ansar.
The PTI lawmakers had not been attending the assembly session following 9th May’s violence while GDA’s Nusrat Sehar Abbasi was also not coming since long. MQM-P’s Rana Ansar and GDA’s Arif Mustafa Jatoi were also absent at the time their names were called. Later, the house was adjourned to Friday (today).