BJP makes U-turn over water tariff hike in Chandigarh

To table amended agenda to slash hiked rates that were about to be notified

After approving up to threefold hike in water tariff during the municipal corporation’s General House meeting in December, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday made a U-turn and decided to review the rates during a meeting of party councillors.

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The BJP has 20 councillors in the 26-member MC House.

The move comes at a time when the MC is awaiting the UT administration’s final notification on new rates. It has put a question mark on the fund-starved MC’s plan to hike the rates from April 1, meant to meet its operation and maintenance cost for water supply across the city.

The BJP during the meeting formed a panel of six party councillors, which will recommend slashing of the new water tariff. Mayor Raj Bala Malik, who too was present during the meeting and had earlier refused to review the hike, is learnt to have given in principle nod to table the amended agenda during the upcoming House meeting on February 25. However, she could not be reached for comment.

“We will discuss it on February 22, and then accordingly push for its approval in the House,” he said.

Sood said the move was necessitated after there was a strong opposition from the public. “We want to rationalise the hike, keeping in mind that even the MC doesn’t suffer,” he said.

However, Congress leader of opposition Devinder Babla called it “another ploy of the BJP to befool the people”.

“If they are so concerned about the public, they should not have passed the steep hike,” he said. “It is their fear of losing the elections that made them review it.”