NOIDA:
In view of the ongoing nationwide lockdown, the Uttar Pradesh government has asked the Noida and Greater Noida authorities to allow residents to pay water bills of March, April and May by the end of June, instead of paying them every month.
The government has postponed payment of water bills after residents demanded for the same.
“Residents can pay these bills by June end, 2020, as we have postponed the payment in view of Covid-19 pandemic,” said Alok Tandon, principal secretary with UP infrastructure and industrial department.
Tandon, who is also chairman of Noida and Greater Noida authorities, communicated the decision with the residents.
Recently, the Confederation of NCR Residents Welfare Association (CONRWA), a residents’ body, had through a letter requested for postponement of paying water bills.
“We had requested the postponement of the bill payment because many residents cannot pay the same via online and they cannot visit the water department or the other department of the authority physically due to nationwide lockdown,” said Brigadier (retired) Ashok Hak, convenor of CONRWA (Noida chapter).
“As of now, the residents are under immense strain as their jobs are affected, and they cannot move out of their houses amid Covid -19 safety issues. So, the government should not put any such burden,” said PS Jain, president of CONRWA.
{{/usCountry}}“As of now, the residents are under immense strain as their jobs are affected, and they cannot move out of their houses amid Covid -19 safety issues. So, the government should not put any such burden,” said PS Jain, president of CONRWA.
{{/usCountry}}In Gautam Budh Nagar district, there are about 78,000 and 80,000 water consumers under the jurisdiction of Noida authority and Greater Noida authority, respectively. Most of them are yet to pay the dues, the officials said.
Even before the lockdown came into effect, the two industrial development authorities have struggled to recover water bills from their consumers that include builders, private firms and individuals.
The state government has already extended date of payment of water bills for industrial, institutional and commercial units in the two industrial authorities’ jurisdiction due to Covid-19 pandemic.