Rejection of MC House resolution by Chandigarh Admn legally questionable: MP Manish Tewari

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Chandigarh, June 18

Newly elected city MP Manish Tewari has stated that the decision of the UT Administration to reject the resolution passed by the Municipal Corporation (MC) to provide free 20,000 litres of water to residents is legally questionable.

In a tweet, Tewari has stated that it is strange that the Chandigarh Administration has annulled the MC’s resolution to provide free 20,000 litres of water to the residents of the city by invoking powers under Section 423 of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Law (Extension to Chandigarh) Act, 1994.

“The Act envisages a mandatory show-cause notice to the MC. No such notice was given to the best of my knowledge. The said notice has to be given to the House through the Mayor or the Commissioner,” he stated.

The order of the UT Administration is therefore legally questionable and stands on a weak jurisprudential footing, he adds.

In a blow to the AAP-Congress alliance, UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit on June 13 rejected the resolution of the MC House on providing free water supply and parking to residents of the city. However, contrary to the stand taken by the MC, the Administrator decided that no extra parking fee will be levied on vehicles registered out of the tricity.

The alliance had got the agenda pertaining to free 20,000 litre water per month per household and free parking in the market lots passed in the MC House in March this year. It was sent to the UT Administrator for the final approval.

Free water and parking was the poll promises of AAP in the 2021 MC elections, in which the party had emerged the single largest party. Free water was also one of the promises in the Congress’ manifesto during the recent Lok Sabha election.

Citing reasons such as the ongoing 24×7 water supply project, for which a loan of over Rs 500 crore has been raised, total expenditure of the MC increasing on a year-on-year basis and revenue not increasing proportionately, Purohit had rejected the resolution of the MC.

The MC gets most of its receipts in the form of water tariff and property tax. During 2023-24, the corporation had received Rs 176 crore in water bills only. It has a committed liability of approximately Rs 58 crore per month, which includes regular salaries, wages, pensions, electricity bills, POL, etc. The per annum expenditure on committed liabilities comes to about Rs 700 crore.