Govt notifies OTS policy for sewerage, water bill arrears

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, February 12

Acceding to a long-pending demand, the Local Government has notified a one-time settlement (OTS) policy in the urban local bodies for the waiver of interest and penalty for water and sewerage bills, running into crores of rupees.

Though the total arrears, including the principal amount for the financial year 2018-2019, are nearly Rs 3,500 crore, the OTS offers waiver only on the interest and penalty amount.

For instance, the arrears of the water supply and sewerage charges add up to nearly Rs 10 crore in Patiala Municipal Corporation, while in Jalandhar and Ludhiana Municipal Corporations, the amount has reached to Rs 30 crore and Rs 350 crore, respectively. A number of end-users have not paid their due for years together, owing to different reasons.

The Mayors of the Congress-ruled Municipal Corporations have been pressing upon the state government to announce the OTS policy for the recovery of the water and sewerage dues.

Local Bodies Minister Brahm Mohindra said as per the OTS policy, the waiver of interest and penalty on the arrears of water supply and sewerage charges would be accorded if the principal amount payable on the date of notification was paid within a period of three months.

Likewise, the waiver of penalty will be sanctioned only if the principal amount of arrears and interest payment is made after three months and before six months from the date of issue of this notification. The payable amount will have to be deposited in lump sum and the failure to do so will attract both interest and penalty in addition to disconnection by the MCs concerned.

Only interest, penalty to be waived

• As per the OTS policy, interest and penalty on water and sewerage bill arrears will be waived if the principal amount on the date of notification is paid within 3 months
• Likewise, penalty will be waived only if the principal amount and interest payment is made between 3 to 6 months from the date of issue of this notification
• The payable amount will have to be deposited in lump sum and the failure to do so will attract both interest and penalty in addition to disconnection by the MCs concerned