Cabinet provides succour to cash-strapped Solan MC

The Solan Municipal Corporation (MC) today got a major relief from the state Cabinet, as the latter decided to transfer the distribution of water to the Jal Shakti Department (JSD). This will facilitate the implementation of uniform water tariff as against varying rates, which were applicable hitherto.

The civic body had been grappling with a severe financial crisis as its water bill liability towards the JSD, which supplied water to the city, has soared to Rs 123 crore following a steep hike in water charges implemented by the state government in September 2024. The water tariff was raised nearly fourfold, from Rs 27.71 per kilo litre (PKL) to Rs 100 PKL, under a notification issued by the Jal Shakti Department on September 21, 2024. The hike applied to the Solan and Palampur MCs, where the Jal Shakti Department supplied water, unlike other civic bodies that managed water supply on their own.

Though the Congress-run MC decided not to pass on the revised rates to residents and bore the expenditure, this worsened its financial health.

A delegation of councillors led by Mayor Usha Sharma, former mayor Punam Grover, former deputy mayor Rajiv Kaura, Councillor Abhay Sharma met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, besides Deputy CM and Jal Shakti Minister Mukesh Agnihotri in the last two days, along with Health and Family Welfare Minister DR Shandil. They urged them to rationalise the varying rates. They also pleaded for transfer of the water distribution to the JSD as the liability has already soared to Rs 123 crore.

With the Cabinet having taken a favourable decision the councillors have heaved a sigh of relief as the high water tariff had become a bone of contention.

Mayor Usha Sharma and Councillors Punam Grover, Rajiv Kaura and Abhay Sharma thanked the CM as well as the Deputy CM for their timely intervention to facilitate the residents.

Acceding to their demand the officials of the JSD were directed to prepare a Cabinet note yesterday, detailing the pros and cons of this scenario where varying rates of water were being charged in Solan city.

With the civic body elections slated to be held early next year, the state government was keen to address the issue as it was creating discontent among the residents. Besides, it had given the Opposition BJP a chance to target the Congress, which had promised water at subsided rates during the civic body polls in 2021.

The government will now prepare modalities for transferring the distribution of water to the JSD in Solan civic body after an in-principal approval was taken by the Cabinet today, said a senior official of the JSD.