No water tariff increase as MC rejects proposal

The corporation had proposed a steep hike in water tariff above the usage of 60 kilolitres per month. The proposed increase was from Rs 6 per kl to Rs 7 per kl for consumption between 30 and 60 kl per month, from Rs 8 per kl to Rs 25 per kl for consumption from 60 to 80 kl per month, and from Rs 8 per kl to Rs 40 per kl for usage above 80 kl.

Councillor Subhash Chawla of the Congress said that the hike would affect the general public, and not just the wealthy people who were often blamed for wasting water. “Almost 60 per cent of the households will suffer from this move as many families have a large number of members but only one connection,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Davesh Moudgil of the BJP said, “Instead of burdening the residents, the corporation should curb water leakage and wastage, which is as much as 25 per cent as per an official report. When officers quote a national benchmark to support the hike, they should also admit that the same benchmark asks them to supply water 24 hours a day.”

Councillor Arun Sood of the BJP asked, “When the Kolkata corporation can function without charging residents a single rupee for water supply, why can’t we?”

At the last meeting, Municipal Commissioner V P Singh had explained that the civic body was suffering losses to the tune of more than Rs 60 crore annually. However, the hike was not aimed at increasing the tariff for the common man but to check excessive usage of water.
“Our only motive is to bridge the gap between revenue and expenditure as it is public money after all. The House can always modify and approve the agenda instead of rejecting it. The only motive is to check water misuse,” he had said.

Water tariff was last revised in the city in May 2011.

Although all councillors rejected the proposal, the Congress and the BJP councillors continued to play the blame game. The BJP councillors said that the mayor was from the Congress and he should not have brought the proposal to the House while Congress councillors blamed the BJP government at the Centre, saying it ensured that the proposal was part of the agenda.