Work for the welfare of residents, don’t burden them

Hike in water tariff uncalled for; ensure timely bill, tax payment; check corrupt practices; seek help from the Centre

This MC is causing trouble for residents ever since it came into being. First, it wreaked havoc with the garbage collection and disposal scheme that flopped miserably. Now, it is water. People are harried, but the local MP does little to help the city. The MC should seek funds from the Centre and not from the residents.

RK KAPOOR, CHANDIGARH

Postpone hike in water tariff

Steep hike in water tariff should be deferred till the country is dealing with the pandemic. Using available funds more judiciously is no less important than generating additional funds. The mounting cost of governance should be curtailed and the MC should stop feeding ‘white elephants’. In the coming festival season, shopkeepers should be allowed to display their products in front of their shops only after they pay fee to the MC.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Focus on tax collection

For generating funds, the MC should focus on better tax collection and ensure that taxes are paid by all. Tax collection norms should be made stricter. The MC should also focus on checking corrupt practices.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

Plug leakage of water

The steep hike in the water charges by the MC cannot be justified. This is not the appropriate time to increase the water tariff. The hike should be justified and not as steep as decided by the MC. The MC must first prevent the wastage of water. Limit the water usage where it is wasted more. Leakages from tanks, line breakages and other wastages must be looked after.

Wg Cdr Jasbir Singh Minhas (retd), Mohali

Unacceptable move

It is discouraging that the MC has notified undesirable rather unjustified hike in the water tariff at the time when the health authorities are advising people to repeatedly wash their hands and keep their belongings clean. In fact, this is the time to ensure free supply of water.

Balbir Singh Batra, Mohali

Cut down facilities to councillors

MC’s move to increase the water tariff amid pandemic is unjustified as it is trying to overcome fiscal crunch by putting burden on common man. The MC needs to cut down extravagant expenditure on events, tea parties and study tours. Homes and offices of councillors and the Mayor need not be renovated repeatedly at short intervals at such a high cost. Why costly phones and laptops are being provided to the councillors when MC is unable to provide basic amenities (like recarpeting of roads, filling of potholes, cleaning of manholes) to the city residents. There was also no need to provide the MC employees costly GPS watches if MC was facing shortage of funds. MC need to cut down facilities given to the Mayor and councillors to overcome fiscal crunch.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

QUESTION

With more than 10,000 Covid-19 cases, Chandigarh’s nearly one per cent population (2011 census) has been infected with the virus so far. However, the UT Administration has not increased Covid testing centres in proportion to the rising number of cases, unlike Mohali and Panckula. Even with less number of total and active cases, both Mohali and Panchkula have more testing centres than the UT. Panchkula has 23 centres and Mohali 19, while Chandigarh has only nine. Do you think it is time for the UT to increase the number of Covid testing centres?
Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@ tribunemail.com

Utilise existing properties

The MC should rent out the properties that are vacant and collect pending dues from various defaulters. It can impose entry fee to public places, which may also discourage people from going out during Covid -19.

Avinash Goyal, Chandigarh

Reduce perks to officials

To deal with financial crunch, the MC should reduce its unnecessary expenses. There should be a cut in perks, securities, pension and home staff for officials concerned.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Lease out spaces for advertisement

To generate revenue, the MC should lease out its spaces for advertisements. If the water tariff hike is inevitable, it should be only in the range of 10 to 50 per cent. Pending dues from various defaulters should be realised.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

Eradicate corruption

The MC should cut down wasteful expenditures and eradicate corruption. It should use the resources available for generating revenue and use it efficiently, such as improving the management of the fruit and vegetable market, accounting for the arrival of produce and collecting tax.

Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh

Use funds from govt treasury

The government has immense wealth in its treasury. All this money is being wasted on organising big events or on lavish lifestyle of MLAs, MPs and senior officers. This money should be used for maintaining water supply and other expenses related to it rather than increasing taxes.

Priyam Aggarwal, Chandigarh

Hike should have come before pandemic

The financial woes of the Municipal Corporation (MC) may justify the increase in the water tariff. However, the hike should have come before the pandemic. At present, Covid has adversely impacted earnings of city residents. The MC could also have increased water tariff every year at a constant rate as it would not have caused much trouble to residents. It’s time the MC found more ways to increase its earnings.

Sikander Singh, Chandigarh

The move is unjustified

Decision of the Municipal Corporation (MC) to raise water tariff by 200 per cent is unjustified and condemnable in view of the fact that residents are already suffering due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather, the UT Administration should give funds to the MC to meet expenses for supplying water at subsidised rates. It is high time that the MC helped common people by not raising the water tariff. This will be a good gesture on the part of the civic body during the ongoing pandemic.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

Not more than 10% hike required

The hike in tariff in Chandigarh means an increase from the present Rs12 a kilolitre to Rs20 per kilolitre of water. This will be a huge burden on the middle-class residents of the city keeping in mind 30 per cent sewerage cess, which has already been imposed. The tariff hike should not be more than 10 per cent at a time.

Rajeev Prakash, Chandigarh

Withdraw the hike

The hike in water tariff should be withdrawn immediately. First, the Municipal Corporation should ensure supply of clean water in the UT. The civic body is only interested in collecting revenue without caring for anything else. Increase is taxes is not the answer to inefficiency and callousness of the authorities concerned towards MC’s financial condition, which is in doldrums.

Amit Jain, Chandigarh

Too much increase for middle class

The hike is way too high for a middle-class person, who runs his house, looks after needs of his/her family and pays for the education of children. The authorities concerned should look into the matter as it will be difficult in the times to bear such steep a hike in the water tariff. Already, everyone is facing financial issues during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A resident, Chandigarh

Treated water for parks

It is horrendous on part of the Municipal Corporation to hike water charges steeply. We are pensioners and to pay the water tariff from our meager income is criminal. Water is our basic need, which should be fulfilled by the civic body. Water tariff can be increased, but in a sensible way. Chandigarh is a green city and has many gardens that need water. Treated water can be supplied for use in parks in all sectors.

Arvinder Singh, Chandigarh

Tariff hike could have been deferred

With UT receiving an additional 29 MGD (million gallons per day) water from Phases V and VI of the Kajauli waterworks last year, the House approved 200 to 300 per cent hike in June 2019. In face of opposition, the hike was slashed. While the House recommended 10 per cent increase in tariff every three years, the MC kept it at three per cent annually. The hike is needed as water tariff has not been revised for nearly a decade. Annual losses from water supply have crossed Rs135 crore per annum. The tariff increase will also discourage wasteful use of water. However, the hike would burden residents, who are reeling under the Covid-19 pandemic. Why is so much urgency in revising tariff? It could have been revised next year.

Sanjay Chopra, Mohali

Adopt austerity measures

Instead of resorting to imposing/increasing taxes and sundry charges, the MC should control its wasteful expenditure, curtail cost of governance by 30 per cent and minimise the wastage of water to make up for the revenue shortage. The MC should focus on implementing these measures and not choose the easiest route of hiking water charges to further burden city residents during the ongoing pandemic.

KC Rana, Chandigarh

Don’t make water a business

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has notified 200 per cent hike in water tariff. Residents cannot bear this increase in water tariff. It’s duty of the MC to provide water to the public on no profit, no loss basis. The civic body should cut its unnecessary expenditure. Councillors should avoid fruitless tours. Extraordinary TA and DA bills should not be passed. The MC has many sources of income. It should reconsider notification for the hike in water tariff. Remember life depends on water.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Why should city residents suffer?

It is an easy formula for any civic body to pass liabilities arising from its deficiencies to consumers. Similar is the situation with the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The authorities have failed to curb their losses arising due to the wastage of water from leaked pipes/administrative lapses and rampant corruption. Instead of finding reasons and solutions, the authorities have sought simple solution by hiking water rates without realising the pathetic condition of consumers during testing times.

Gobind Ahuja, Chandigarh

City MP should help

Such a steep hike in water tariff by the MC is not justified, particularly when people have lost their jobs and economy is melting due to Covid-19. The MC should find alternative means of sustaining itself. First, the city MP should help the MC from her kitty. Second, the MC should think of innovative means like using unemployed workforce for making daily-use utility items such as paper/cloth and carry bags and sell these at a central place. Third, it can organise cultural programmes, entertainment shows and plays, which people can watch after paying while observing social distance. Fourth, it can seek donations from people. There are numerous ways by which the MC can raise funds without burdening residents. Water is the right of every human being and it should be provided at minimum cost.

Colonel RD Singh (retd), Ambala Cantt

Civic body should seek funds from Centre

The MC has all of a sudden announced enhanced water tariff. The City Beautiful has a large junk of highly educated population, who may remain choose to remain quite and pay their water bills. But, the MC must come out with genuine reasons and explanations for increasing the tariff. It is strange that without any rhyme or reason, the MC chooses to enhance the water tariff overnight. Our MP, who is from the ruling party, has chosen to remain silent. The Governor has also preferred to remain mum. The Mayor has also raised no voice. Sad to say that they are all from the ruling party and have failed to bring adequate funds from the Centre to the city. They have preferred an easier way to tax poor and innocent city residents. It will be better if they bring more funds and push back unwarranted water tariff hike.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Collect power, water bills on time

It is bitter truth that the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is going through financial crisis, but the same is true about residents too in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. So, a steep hike in water tariff at this time cannot be justified. Nominal increase is fine. The MC should find other ways and means to increase its funds. Putting burden on residents is injustice. The MC may take loan from the government. It must make sure that consumers pay their water/power bills on time. In many cases, consumers have lackadaisical approach towards bill payment and MC’s lethargic attitude adds to it, resulting in financial losses. Proper functioning of the MC and cooperation by consumers can bring the civic body out of financial crunch.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi, Chandigarh

Move Will impact household budget

Undoubtedly, steep hike in water tariff amid Covid-19 crisis is a big blow to residents of Chandigarh. Understandably, business activities in the city have slowed down rendering many unemployed. Therefore, economy of the city has suffered a setback. In the current scenario of uncertainty, additional financial burden on residents would adversely impact their household budget. As such, the revised water tariff should have been deferred till the situation turned normal. Alternatively, the MC should find other sources of income rather than burning a hole in residents’ pocket.

Hardeep Singh Slaich, Mohali

Seek funds from UT Administration

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation lavishly spent its funds on counsellors’ tours to various cities without any fruitful outcome. Now, when the Covid pandemic is spreading its tentacles for the past six months and business in the city have come to a halt, the MC is ignoring the hardships of residents. City residents are already burdened with heavy taxes. The MC can seek extra funds from the UT Administration to run its business smoothly.

MR Bhateja, Nayagaon

Household income reduced due to covid

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation must raise its pitch for entitled share of grant-in-aid, which has to be commensurate with taxes paid by city residents. Unfortunately, the MC chooses the line of least resistance to fill its coffers and keep moving. But, residents and political parties have vehemently opposed its move to hike water tariff abnormally. It must realise that during pandemic income

of every household has reduced drastically. Hike in tariff will hit residents hard. Instead, the

MC can think of auctioning unused properties and earn some revenue to defer hike in water tariff.

SC Luthra, Chandigarh

Decision should be revoked

The MC has been increasing taxes constantly. The least it can do is give relaxation in property tax and water bills. Several families may not be able to pay the bills regularly. Where is the city MP when residents need her help? The decision should be revoked.

VIJAY MALIA, CHANDIGARH

Check wastage of water

The MC should focus on checking the leakage of water at different spots and heavy penalty should be imposed on those wasting it. Officials concerned must pay surprise visits to localities and punish the defaulters.

TARLOK SINGH CHANDIGARH

First solve water crisis

No administrator or elected representative has given a thought to the hike in the water tariff. The civic body has a duty and it cannot function as a profit-making company for supplying water. If the MC needs additional funds, it can enhance tariff only for high-end users (over 25 kilolitre per month) as per the Delhi formula. Moreover, a French company has already offered Rs400 crore credit at two per cent per annum to the MC, but the latter is silent and insisting on an increasing the water tariff. The MC has spent negligible sum on upgradation and overhaul of water supply infrastructure like pipelines, overhead tanks and metering systems. Hence, the Municipal Corporation has no justification for increasing the water tariff by such high percentage.

Rajiv Boolchand Jain, Zirakpur