ISLAMABAD: Auqaf Directorate of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has a total of 86 mosques under its administrative control but its expenses are being met with cooperation of mosque committees or by the general public.
"An amount of Rs. 19.587 million is outstanding on account of utility bills of the Auqaf manage Mosques in Islamabad upto April, 2014," an official source said.
Giving the break up, he said that outstanding bill amount of electricity and sui gas is Rs. 11.1753 million and Rs. 08.4117 respectively.
He said the utility bills of 86 Auqaf-managed mosques are responsibility of Auqaf Directorate, ICT but bills are outstanding due to shortage of funds.
However, he said no disconnection notices have been received from IESCO and SNGPL in respect of any mosque under the control of Auqaf Directorate, ICT.
The source said that administration is making continuous efforts for demanding funds through regular budget or supplementary grants in order to clear the outstanding utility bills of the Auqaf managed mosques. He said the administration had approached the Ministry of Finance through Ministry of Interior for provision of additional funds as supplementary grant for clearing the outstanding utility bills but in vain.
He said that Rs. 20 million were demanded during financial year 2008-09, Rs. 22 million fiscal year 2009-10 but no additional funds have been provided for this purpose, due to which the outstanding liability of the utility bills could not be cleared and it is gradually increasing with the passage of time.
He said that ICT Administration is holding meetings with Ulema of the concerned mosques and stressing upon them to control the utility bills.
As a result of these meetings, he said utility bills of some mosques are now being paid by the Ulema through Mosque Committees from their own resources or funds collected from general public.
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