Tap connection for Rs 1 still a pipe dream in Nalgonda municipality

NALGONDA: While the State government has issued orders to sanction drinking water tap connections for BPL families across all municipalities at the cost of Rs 1 per connection, the order is yet to be implemented in Nalgonda municipality.

Earlier, Nalgonda Municipality sanctioned tap connection by collecting Rs 1,200 as the charge. However, the government order mandating the municipal authorities to provide water for Rs 1, around 2,275 persons applied for tap connections in 2016. It has been two years since then but these applications are gathering dust at the municipal office, thanks to the technical problems cited by the officials concerned. According to rule book, a beneficiary must submit house registration documents and Aadhaar card along with the application. After submission of documents, municipal officials send the same to higher officials.  

Now, most of the applicants from Panagal, Gandhinagar, Leprosy colony, Old City and other slum areas of the city reportedly don’t have house registration and permission documents. This, the officals claim, is the root of all problems. In the absence of valid documents, they are unable to send the applications to higher officials.

The applicants, on the other hand, claim that they have been living in the area for several years now. “Municipal authorities are not taking interest in solving our problems. We had earlier informed them about the documents problem,” the residents claimed.  Meanwhile, municipal officials speaking to Express, reiterated that the applications were pending as the documents had not been submitted.