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Expect 5% auto increment in water tariff every year in Chandigarh
his means that there will be no need of fresh water hike proposal ever again in MC House since the rates will be automatically revised without fail every year
If you thought the steep hike in water tariff announced by the MC General House on Monday was a one-time exercise, you couldn’t be further from the truth.
The proposal that got the nod clearly states that all fresh water charges will be automatically hiked by 5% on the first day of every year.
This means that there will be no need of fresh water hike proposal ever again in MC House since the rates will be automatically revised without fail every year.
MC will soon send the agenda approved by the General House to the UT administration for issuing of a final notification.
SPEAK UP AGAINST THE HIKE
The city residents have a chance to oppose the hike when the UT will seek public feedback before notifying what was approved in the MC General House.
A senior official of the MC told the Hindustan Times that the clause of automatic revision was added for a reason. “MC had to revise the water tariff by more than double the original charge because there had been no revision of rates for the last nine years. Now that the rates will automatically be revised periodically by a moderate 5% each year, it will not hurt people much since increase will be gradual,” he said.
He said that MC House has taken the right call by giving nod to the entire proposal of the MC public health department without any changes.
OPPOSITION GROWING AGAINST HIKE
From resident welfare associations to opposition parties, everybody is up in arms against the doubling of water tariff. Chandigarh Residents Associations’ Welfare Federation (CRAFED) president Hiteshi Puri said they will discuss the issue in their January 5 meeting and decide the next course of action on how to reduce the tariff since agenda approved in the House is too steep. Other residential forums are also planning to give memorandum against this hike, batting for a roll back.
Former Congress mayor Subhash Chawla said that the hike is unjustified and exposes BJP completely. “These are the same BJP councillors who staged a big drama when during my tenure, as the mayor in 2013, there was a proposal to introduce property tax on residential buildings for just ₹1 per square feet. They caused a commotion, even tore agenda copies. Now, when they are on the ruling side, no one dares to speak anything against this steep hike,” said Chawla.
Congress local president Pardeep Chhabra said they will not accept it and soon hold protests to expose the real face of BJP in front of the people.
