MC to begin detailed checking of unauthorised establishments

Senior officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation (MC) instructed staff of the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) wing to begin a detailed checking campaign in unauthorised colonies and large commercial establishments in the city. The aim of the campaign is to identify and act against illegal water and sewer connections and assess whether large business establishments are being correctly billed for the water they consume.

Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh directed the executive engineers of the O&M Cell to ensure that assistant and junior engineers under their supervision carry out a thorough survey of unauthorised colonies in their respective areas. These surveys are meant to identify illegal connections and notices under Section 189 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, are to be issued on the spot wherever such violations are found. Immediate action is also to be taken against violators at the time of notice issuance and detailed written reports are to be submitted in the upcoming weekly review meetings.

In addition to colonies, the survey is being extended to all major commercial establishments in the city. This move is aimed at verifying whether the water consumption by these establishments corresponds with the water, sewerage and submersible motor bills issued by the MC. Field officers are required to physically assess the water usage at the site, the capacity of installed motors and the number of hours they are operated daily. The purpose of this campaign is to ensure transparency in billing and to plug any revenue losses due to underreporting or unauthorised usage.

MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh made it clear that each junior engineer must check a fixed number of business premises every week and assistant engineers are expected to carry out a minimum number of surveys each month. All collected data will be compiled into reports and presented during weekly review meetings, after which further action will be taken in accordance with the rules.

Officials have also been warned that any negligence in duty or failure to act responsibly during this drive will result in disciplinary action. The municipal corporation aims to bring unauthorised connections under legal regulation while ensuring that all commercial users are billed fairly and according to their actual consumption.