Little relief as Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to get revised water tariff rates

Mayor Ravi Kant Sharma while speaking to The Indian Express said, ” The agenda of revised tariff is coming in this house meeting. We intend to provide some relief so we have decided to reduce the per unit rate in 31 to 60 all slab,” said mayor Ravi Kant Sharma.

In the revised tariff schedule, the slab of 0-15 KL and 16-30 KL, the rates have been suggested the same as Rs 3 per KL and Rs 6 per KL as in the notification. However, in the domestic slab 31 to 60 Kl, the rate which is Rs 12 per KL has been suggested to be Rs 9 per KL.

Meanwhile, all commercial rates will remain the same.

As the 30 per cent sewerage cess also increased due to hike in water bills, the General House will discuss to reduce the cess to 15 to 20 per cent.

Last year, the Chandigarh Administration was sent a resolution to roll back the tariff hike, but not getting convinced the administration had asked the Municipal Corporation to reconsider its decision of roll back.

Following this, Municipal Corporation has now decided to bring in a revised tariff schedule. Following heavy criticism by residents, the BJP councillors had decided to put forth the agenda of water tariff review in September 2020.

A roolback was then approved in the General House but the UT Administration did not go ahead with it, and residents continued to pay the hiked rates.

The city RWAs already oppose the three-fold hike. Citing the proposed hike unjustified and illogical, 700 members of various federating associations, trade unions, and social organisations had marched from Sector 17 Plaza to the MCC office, last year.