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Chandigarh: Manimajra residents fume over hefty water bills, MC chief admits lapse
Residents of Shantinagar, Moriwala, and Pipliwala in Manimajra are alleging that some of them have got bills of more than ₹10,000
As many as 2,500 families of Manimajra are at receiving end as they have received hefty water bills. The residents of Shantinagar, Moriwala, and Pipliwala in Manimajra are alleging that some of them have got bills of more than ₹10,000. The areas fall under circle 2 and circle 3 of the public health department.
As per officials, total bill of nine months has been sent which includes seven months’ arrear from January to July besides new bill of August and September.
MC commissioner Anindita Mitra said there was a lapse on the part of the officials and the civic body has already taken action against them. Chief sanitary inspector has been chargesheeted and the Health Supervisor was also issued show cause notice, she added.
She said last month it was detected that MC has not started collecting garbage cess from several areas of the city despite providing garbage collection facilities. Also, the arrears were calculated and sent along with water bills. In order to avoid hardship to residents, an agenda is being put up before the general house for collection of these arrears in four instalments, she added.
One of the residents, Tejinder Sodhi said, “I have received a hefty bill of ₹4812, which include ₹1490 water bill while sewerage cess amounts to ₹447 and garbage charges make up to ₹630. However, the bill has a column ‘sundry charges’ which are ₹2205 , that the resident has to pay along with certain maintenance charges and others.
Congress gheraos mayor’s residence
Members of the Congress on Sunday gheraoed the residence of mayor Sarabjit Kaur. They also raised anti-BJP slogans to protest against the exorbitant water bills issued to them. Police force had to be called to defuse the situation.
The mayor met the protesters, who relented only on the assurance that the people of Manimajra need not pay the garbage collection charges with the current bill and the issue of the water bills would be sorted out during the House meeting on November 29.
The Manimajra residents had earlier protested two days ago by blocking roads. They had then lifted the blockade on the assurance that the bills would be reduced within a day or so. But nothing was done thereafter. This agitated the residents to intensify the protest.
In the meantime, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Treasurer All India Congress Committee in a statement issued here, expressed solidarity with the residents of Manimajra in their fight against, what he said was, highhandedness of the BJP-led Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and urged the concerned authorities to defer the entire payment of the bills, till the matter is sorted out in November 29 house meeting.
