Pilot project to plug leakage of revenue to ULBs

Mangaluru: The urban development department is all set to roll out a pilot initiative that will automatically stop water supply to commercial/residential complexes in case of default of bills for more than three months. The department will also actively consider waving accumulated interest on the pending bills if the defaulters pay the principal amount within a stipulated time, minister for urban development U T Abdul Khader announced here on Sunday.
Aimed at plugging leakage of revenue critical to ability of urban local bodies to discharge their obligatory functions, the pilot initiative will be tried out in Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC), Khader, also district minister, said. Inaugurating the Urwa market-cum-commercial complex, a joint project of Mangalore Urban Development Authority and MCC, Khader said the fineprint of the initiative such as number of units in the complex, will be notified soon.

Defaulters failing to pay their power bills bear the brunt of Escoms, who promptly disconnect power supply. However, with urban local bodies (ULBs), dithering or not bothering to take such action against defaulters, they are saddled with unpaid dues which is hampering their ability to provide service to stakeholders, Khader said. “It is all the more unfortunate that the affluent sections of society top the list of tax and water bill defaulters to ULBs,” Khader rued.

ULBs also need cooperation of people is handling solid waste generated in cities, in maintaining cleanliness and also in paying their taxes promptly, the minister said, adding he has seen smart water meters that can be remotely switched off for non-payment of dues in Mumbai and this will be tried out in MCC as part of the pilot initiative. “Stakeholders should also pay their UGD and water connection cess promptly for better service delivery,” he said.

Referring to the market constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 12.62 crore, Khader said such facilities are important for the city, which is the fastest growing tier-II city in Karnataka. “We need to provide facilities commensurate to growth of the city, which has also been selected under the Smart City Project (SCP),” Khader said adding various projects including the SCP, AMRUT are expected to transform the city’s landscape over the next five years.