City residents paying bills on new tariff with 3-fold hikeUT Admn yet to take call on MC resolution on water rate revision

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 18

While there is a huge hue and cry among residents against water tariff, which was raised up to three-fold in the city, the UT Administration is still sitting over the rate revision resolution passed by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

Having faced criticism after the water tariff hike notification in September, the BJP-ruled corporation had brought an agenda in the House to slash the rates. The agenda was approved by the House on October 29. It was then sent to the Administration for the final approval.

While the residents have been paying the increased rates since September, the authorities have failed to decide the matter till now.

Arun Kumar Gupta, UT Home Secretary-cum-Secretary, Local Government, said, “We had received the MC resolution, but no decision has been taken in this regard so far.”

Hitesh Puri of Chandigarh Residents’ Association Welfare Federation, said, “There is a huge resentment among residents over the increase in the water rates and the provision of sewerage cess, which is 30 per cent of the total bill. The MC claims they did not increase rates much in the lower slab. However, a very few consumers fall in that bracket. I think over 75 per cent people fall in the upper slabs and they are hugely affected.”

“For example, my own water bill has now increased to whopping Rs1,900 from Rs900-Rs1000 earlier. It is the duty of the government to provide water at subsidised rates,” he said.

RK Garg, the president of a city-based senior citizens’ association, said, “We are now paying two to three times more for water. The MC has failed to control water leakage and putting the burden of the loss on us. Sewerage cess, which used to be fixed earlier, is now 30 per cent of the total bill. It is a big blow.”

City Congress chief Subhash Chawla said, “Nowhere in the country 30 per cent sewerage is charged. It is one or two per cent. The Administration is not under the control of the ruling BJP and the latter is only doing drama by passing another rate revision resolution.”

Mayor Ravi Kant Sharma said, “We have got various representations regarding water bills. We will bring an agenda to discuss the revision issue in the coming House meeting and will then get approval from the Administration in March.”