Chandigarh administration offers one-time settlement on water dues

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 17

The UT Administration has okayed a one-time settlement of outstanding water bills.

According to a public notice issued by the MC, the Administration has given a go-ahead to offer one-time settlement to water bill defaulters. In case the dues are deposited in one installment, 10 per cent rebate on the total outstanding amount will be given to the defaulter. In case the dues are deposited in two and three installments, then seven and five per cent rebate, respectively, will be provided to the consumer. The offer will be available till August 17 this year. On August 31 last year, the MC House had approved the agenda to give water bill defaulters three months to pay their dues under a one-time settlement scheme. It has now got the final nod from the Administration. Water bills of a whopping Rs41.60 crore are pending for several years, of which Rs37.44 crore is the principal amount and Rs4.16 crore surcharge.

MC to recover Rs41.60 cr

• Water bills of a whopping Rs41.60 crore are pending, of which Rs37.44 crore is principal amount and Rs4.16 crore surcharge.
• Nearly Rs28 crore of the total dues pertain to domestic connections, Rs1.7 crore to industrial units and Rs7.29 crore to commercial units. The MC has to recover Rs4.54 crore from government departments.

According to the civic body, nearly Rs28 crore of the total dues pertain to domestic connections, Rs1.7 crore to industrial units and Rs7.29 crore to commercial establishments. The MC also has to recover Rs4.54 crore from different government departments.

“It should be taken as a golden chance. We will take a legal course against the defaulters not availing themselves of the one-time settlement offer,” said a senior officer of the public health division.

Mayor Ravi Kant Sharma said, “Those who failed to pay earlier for some or the other reason should take an advantage of the offer now.”