900 illegal water connections regularised in Moga without requisite charges, penalty

What raises eyebrows even more is the fact that MC has regularised these connections when the policy for regularisation of unauthorised connections was in the pipeline

Moga In a serious act of omission that points to widespread corruption, the Moga municipal corporation (MC) has regularised over 900 illegal water and sewerage connections over the past two months, by just charging a government fee between ₹200 and ₹500 per connection. Officials did not collect road cutting charges, connection fee, security fee, arrears and penalty, resulting in loss of revenue to the state exchequer, the MC record shows.

Officials did not collect road cutting charges, connection fee, security fee, arrears and penalty, resulting in loss of revenue to the state exchequer, the MC record shows. (HT FILE PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY)

What raises eyebrows even more is the fact that MC has regularised these connections when the policy for regularisation of unauthorised connections was in the pipeline. On Monday itself, the state government has announced that it will implement ‘One Time Settlement Policy’ for unauthorised water and sewerage connections; there is, however, no notification as yet.

“The regularisation of illegal connections has been done at very low fee, when even as for a new connection, residents have to pay over ₹5,000 under various heads,” said an MC official, on the condition of anonymity.

The matter came to light when Davinder Singh, a superintendent of water and sewerage branch of MC, filed a reply over allegations of corruption in regularisation of illegal connections. On May 18, the MC had issued a circular seeking applications for regularisation of illegal water and sewerage connections. The circular asked offenders to deposit between ₹100 and ₹500 for regularisation of connection. HT has a copy of this circular and the superintendent’s reply.

The Moga MC has fixed road cutting charges as ₹13 per square ft for katcha road; ₹351 per square ft for BM and premix road; ₹66 per square ft for brick paving block; ₹264 for CC road and ₹264 per square ft for premix carpet road. It also charges ₹200 as security and another ₹200 for water and sewerage connection.

Suresh Sood, a local activist, said, “The corporation has legalised these illegal connections under the garb of the ‘One Time Settlement Policy’, while the state government is yet to implement it. The real motive is corruption.”

Davinder Singh, superintendent of water and sewerage branch, said, “There are over 3,000 illegal connections in the city and we have regularised 938 of these. The corporation had issued a circular for regularisation of these connections, and I performed my duty as directed.”

Moga MC commissioner Surinder Singh, said, “I will look into the matter immediately. I have joined only recently.”