Illegal water-sewer connection: Ludhiana MC starts door-to-door survey

The municipal corporation (MC) on Friday started the door-to-door survey in different parts of the city to find residents with illegal water-sewer connections

The municipal corporation (MC) on Friday started the door-to-door survey in different parts of the city to find residents with illegal water-sewer connections.

On the first day of checking in Haibowal and surrounding areas falling under block 34 of Ludhiana MC’s Zone D, 145 out of 512 properties (28.3%) were found with illegal connections (AFP)

On the first day of checking in Haibowal and surrounding areas falling under block 34 of MC Zone D, 145 out of 512 properties (28.3%) were found with illegal connections . MC teams in other zones also conducted the survey, but the report has not yet been compiled.

As per the officials, 15 teams were formed and 512 properties were checked in Zone D and of the 145 property owners caught with illegal connections, 122 paid the regularisation fee on the spot and the remaining 22 sought a few days to submit the amount. The MC teams collected around ₹38,000 as regularisation fee. The officials stated that there are over 33,000 properties in the block and they will all be checked by November 24.

The officials stated that the state government has floated a one-time settlement (OTS) policy to get the connections regularised at nominal fee (less than 10% of regular fee). The OTS policy was notified by the state government on August 25 and will expire on November 24. After that, residents will have to pay the regular fee.

MC superintendent Vivek Verma said that the MC teams are also checking property tax returns, submersible bills etc of the properties.

With residents giving the OTS policy a cold shoulder, mayor Balkar Sandhu had on November 9, directed the MC to conduct door to door survey in the city to catch the defaulters and regularise their connections. As per the information, only around 4,000 defaulters have applied under the policy and the MC suspects over 1 lakh illegal connections in the city.

MC employees caught fleecing residents

Three employees of MC were caught on camera fleecing residents for regularising illegal water-sewer connections in Ram Nagar on Chandigarh Road. A video went viral on Thursday wherein a woman accused the employees of charging ₹800 against the actual fee of ₹200 for regularising a connection.

MC executive engineer Ranbir Singh stated that a report against the employees will be submitted with higher authorities for further action.