Nagpur: Plan to cancel 5% annual water tariff hike before standing panel

NAGPUR: To provide relief to citizens in financial distress due to coronavirus lockdowns, Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has finally decided not to implement the annual 5% hike in water tariff. The civic administration has submitted a proposal before the standing committee, which will meet on July 30.
This is the first time in last 11 years that the civic body has dropped the hike in water tariff ever since Orange City Water Private Limited took charge of the water supply operation in 2010-11.
TOI had earlier reported that municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B had taken the decision despite the fact that NMC has been incurring a loss of over Rs80 crore per annum from water supply. “The decision will further add to the loss,” said sources.
The public health engineering department’s proposal revealed that the civic chief had okayed the annual hike on April 29, 2021. Later, Radhakrishnan B changed his decision considering the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sources pointed out that this is the first time annual tariff hike has been cancelled. Last year, BJP-led ruling alliance had wanted the civic administration not to levy the revised water tariff. It also raised the issue in the general body meeting. However, the then municipal commissioner Tukaram Mundhe had rejected their demand.
Sources, however, said the ruling party will take all the credit as early next year NMC is going to polls. Even in June this year, mayor Dayashankar Tiwari had announced a 10% rebate for early property tax taxpayers.