Now, water, sewerage bills to all

Officials of the operation and maintenance wing of the MC conduct a meeting in Amritsar on Saturday. Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 7

The operation and maintenance wing (O&T) of the Municipal Corporation has decided to distribute water and sewerage bills to all consumers, including illegal connection holders, in the city. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Water and Sewerage Department held under the chairmanship of water supply and sewerage sub-committee chairman Mahesh Khanna here on Friday evening.

At present, the MC is sending water and sewerage bills to around 30,000 connection holders out of the total 2.30 lakh consumers. During the current financial year, the MC has set a target of collecting around Rs 35 crore as dues from consumers.

Officials of the Water Supply and Sewerage Department disclosed that in the present records, there were only 65,000 consumers but the actual number of consumers was around four times higher. A large number of connection holders are using the services without any consent and without fulfilling the legal provisions which are required for using the services.

Due to a fall in the recovery of revenue collection during the Covid-19 pandemic, the wing has now decided to fast-track the recovery of dues so that the ongoing development works could be completed in a time-bound manner. —Mahesh Khanna, Chairman, Water & Sewerage Department

Councillor Mahesh Khanna said, “He has issued instructions to distribute the bills on time and ensure the recovery of dues. Further, the meeting has decided to investigate illegal water and sewerage connections and take measures to regularise illegal connections.”

Khanna said due to a fall in the recovery of revenue collection during the Covid-19 pandemic, the wing had now decided to fast-track the recovery of dues so that the ongoing development works could be completed in a time-bound manner.

According to information, there are over Rs 2.70 crore pending dues standing against the existing legal connection holders. Major government and commercial connection holders have not been paying the water and sewerage bills for a long time, say sources in the department.