Every Chandigarh family to get free 20,000 litre water and parking: AAP, Congress councillors

The resolution on 20,000 litres of free water and free parking will now be sent to the secretary of local government.

Interestingly, minutes before AAP and Congress councillors of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation were to take up the agenda of providing 20,000 litres of free water to every family and free parking, BJP councillors on Monday afternoon sought 40,000 litres of free water for every family.

“The BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed towards achieving sustainable development goals and the uplift of the weaker sections of society by providing basic amenities to everyone. In our sankalp of achieving a Viksit Bharat, we the BJP councillors propose that the MC Chandigarh should provide 40,000 litres of portable drinking water free of cost to every household in Chandigarh,” the BJP legislators’ letter addressed to the mayor said.

The Congress and AAP’s agenda of 20,000 litres of free water was being circulated for discussion when BJP councillors sought 40,000 litres of free water. The issue is yet to be discussed.

“At the same time we have also heard that you are planning to impose a slew of new taxes on the residents of Chandigarh to cover up the budgetary mismatch created by your populist policies and poor financial management. We strongly oppose the imposition of any new taxes or cess in Chandigarh. Every month the MC Chandigarh pays a huge amount to the Punjab government for the supply of water from Kajauli water works, and to avoid the MC from coming under severe debt, as the Delhi Jal Board has come in red because of populist free water supply in Delhi, we urge you to ask your party government in Punjab to waive off this payment,” the letter said.

The councillors further wrote, “We, the councillors of BJP, offer our complete support to you in passing this agenda of providing 40,000 litres of water free to everyone in Chandigarh every month, but at the same time caution you to make sure that this agenda of free water is implemented immediately on ground and doesn’t remains merely on paper.”

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the AAP and Congress were to announce 20,000 litres of free water and free parking for Chandigarh on Monday.

Congress president HS Lucky said, “Fearing that Chandigarh residents may give us credit for this facility of free water and parking, the BJP has tried a stunt and come up with another gimmick, seeking double of what we have demanded.”