New Force to Collect Sanitation Charges
The Punjab government has proposed forming a new force to improve the collection of sanitation charges across the province, according to official documents.
The plan calls for creating 305 new posts under the Excise and Taxation Department, including 300 Excise and Taxation Constable posts in Grade 5, tasked with recovering sanitation dues from property owners.
Force Structure and Duties
The proposed force would collect sanitation charges from around 4.7 million properties across Punjab. Officials have proposed deploying 7 to 8 constables in each district to handle collections. Beyond recovery, the force would also distribute sanitation charge bills and follow up with defaulters who have not cleared their dues.
To supervise the force, the proposal recommends appointing one director and four deputy directors. The unit would work specifically for the Suthra Punjab Programme, reporting to the Director General of Excise and Taxation.
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Vehicles and Budget Requested
For field operations, officials have proposed providing the force with 300 electric motorcycles. The plan also includes purchasing one 1,300cc car and four Suzuki Cultus cars for supervisory and enforcement duties.
According to the documents, the government has sought Rs. 113 million for the purchase of the motorcycles and the five vehicles. A supplementary grant is also being considered to cover salaries and other expenses tied to the new posts and vehicles.
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Why the New Force Is Being Proposed
The move comes as Suthra Punjab has struggled to meet its own recovery targets. The authority was expected to collect close to Rs. 70 billion in sanitation charges province-wide but has managed to recover only around Rs. 1 billion so far, leaving the program short on funds to sustain its operations. Under the existing arrangement, the Excise and Taxation Department handles recovery in urban areas while contractors cover rural areas; the new force is aimed at strengthening that collection mechanism.
As of now, no formal notification has been issued confirming the force’s creation. The proposal remains under consideration, and its final staffing numbers and budget could still change before approval.