Amritsar civic body holds Lok Adalat to dispose of water, sewerage bills

Amritsar, December 10

A Lok Adalat was organised at the Municipal Corporation headquarters in Ranjit Avenue. The Municipal Commissioner appointed Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishal Wadhawan, Secretary Rajinder Sharma and Health Superintendent Neeraj Bhandari to dispose of cases in the Lok Adalat. Apart from the members appointed in Lok Adalat, Municipal Health Officer Dr Kiran Kumar, chief sanitary inspectors, sanitary inspectors, sewerage and water supply department officials were also present in the Lok Adalat.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishal Wadhawan stated that the Health, Sewerage and Water Supply Departments had issued a total of 230 notices to consumers.

Notices were also issued by the Health Department for use of single-use plastic and littering. Similarly, for non-payment of sewerage and water bill, the MC issued notices to consumers.

Of the total 230, 70 consumers joined the Lok Adalat. Out of these, 63 notices were disposed of. The Municipal Corporation collected Rs 2.77 lakh during the hearing of these cases. The MC recovered Rs 2.30 lakh by way of sewerage and water bills and Rs 47,000 was collected in lieu of Health Department notices.

Assistant Municipal Commissioner Vishal Wadhawan stated that the decisions have been taken with the mutual consent of consumers and officials. He said that the objections of consumers to sewerage and water bills were removed after detailed discussions with the officials concerned and the outstanding bills were collected. Similarly, challans were issued for use of single-use plastic and dues settled by reducing the penalty.

“The Lok Adalat was organised on the directions of the District Legal Services Authority at MC head office. The report of the decisions taken in the Lok Adalat would be sent to the District Legal Services Authority,” said the Assistant Municipal Commissioner.