MIDC caves in, slashes hike

PUNE, July 10: Bowing to the pressure from various organisations representing the industrial sector, the Maharashtra Industrial Development ...

PUNE, July 10: Bowing to the pressure from various organisations representing the industrial sector, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation MIDC has reduced the water charges which were earlier hiked by nearly 50 per cent.

The water rate for industries in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad areas which had been hiked from the earlier Rs 8 for thousand litres to Rs 12 has now been reduced to Rs 9.50. Similar reduction has been done in water charges earlier hiked from April 10 this year all over the State. The MIDC office in Chinchwad last week received the official circular giving details about the new water charges.

The steep and sudden hike in water charges by the MIDC in Pune region and all over the State had caused severe resentment among the industries. The industrial associations in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune strongly opposed the water hike. The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce and Industries MCCI held a series of meetings in April and May with the industrialists from various regions. The industrialists had then resolved that they would not accept the hike in water charges and instead continue to pay the charges as per old rates.

The MCCI in a statement had said that the industries were already facing severe problems due to recession and urged the government to reduce the water hike. The hike in water charges at this stage would make an impact on the very existence of the industries, the industries said.

Following representations made by a MCCI delegation with Industries Minister Leeladhar Dake and the MIDC authorities, the MIDC had earlier reduced the water charges in Pune region from Rs 12 to Rs 11. This was however not accepted by the industries. The MIDC has now finalised the new rate at Rs 9.50.

Revenue by water taxes is the only major source of income for the MIDC in Pune region. In Pimpri-Chinchwad where there are nearly 3000 industrial units, the MIDC receives a whopping Rs 2.25 crore revenue per month. The MIDC has fixed its new rates for domestic water consumers. For the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, the new rate will be Rs 4.50.

The MIDC has also finalised its new rates in various other areas in the state. At Patalganga excluding Wagle estate the rate has been fixed at Rs 9.50. At Wagle estate and Thane, the new rate is Rs 10.50.

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At Tarapur, Roha, Ahmednagar, Shrirampur, Aurangabad and Chikhalthana where the earlier rate was Rs 6, the new rate now fixed is Rs 7.25. At Satara, Wai, Ratnagiri, Mahad, Kolhapur Shirol and Gokul Shirgaon where the old rate was Rs 5.50, the new rate has now been fixed at Rs 6.50. At Chandrapur, Akola, Parbhani, Nagpur, Walunj, Osmanabad, Latur, Beed, Paithan, Yavatmal, Kalmeshwar where the old rate was Rs 4.50, the new rate now is Rs 5.50.

For industries outside the MIDC area, the water rates in the A region category will be Rs 11 for CIDCO, and Rs 12 in Pune and Mumbai. For B region category, the rate is Rs 8.50, in C and D regions the rate is Rs 8, and for other regions the rate has been fixed at Rs 7.

According to sources in the MCCI, the MIDC has agreed to consult the industries whenever the MIDC contemplated a hike in the water charges.