Resort water divides VMC

VADODARA, May 19: Five years after the Vadodara Municipal Corporation VMC accepted money to release a water connection to the Ajwa Fun ...

VADODARA, May 19: Five years after the Vadodara Municipal Corporation VMC accepted money to release a water connection to the Ajwa Fun World and Resort on the city8217;s outskirts, the Standing Committee, an important decision making body of the civic body, still stands divided on whether to give the connection.

The Resort had applied for a one-inch connection from the 36-inch feeder line and paid the required fee much before VMC decided to stop giving water and drainage connections outside city limits from 1995 because it was facing difficulties in meeting the city8217;s requirements. Today, a section of Committee members say the connection should be given, while another disagrees.

However, the hitch lies in the fact that the then Assistant Municipal Commissioner had accepted Rs 42,989 on October 12, 1994 towards the connection despite the fact that releasing connections outside city limits was the General Board8217;s prerogative.

Now the proposal which comes up for discussion before the Committee on Thursday clearly states that the money was accepted by mistake. Asked how this happened, in-charge City Engineer B S Trapasia explains that the amount should have been accepted after the Board passed the proposal.

He, however, refused to comment when questioned why no action was initiated against the officer. Trapasia said it was the Municipal Commissioner8217;s decision.

When contacted, Committee chairman N V Patel said he personally believed that since the Resort had given the amount, the connection should be released.

He, however, said he would not impose his decision on the members and the matter would be discussed on Thursday.

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While a few members believed that the connection should be given as the connection has been already paid for, others believe that the connection should not be released as now the VMC has stopped servicing areas outside city limits.

After paying the water fee, Resort chairman Rajesh Jain waited for a decision and made several representations before the VMC before filing a case in the High Court which, in an oral order on April 21, asked the VMC to take a decision.

Patel observed that even Khodianagar in Sama which had paid before the 1995 decision had to be given the connection, while sewage problems had prompted such water connections to part of Tarsali outside civic limits.

Asked the reason for connections having been given from feeder lines earlier, Patel said that when Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad laid the line several years ago, it was decided that villages falling between Ajwa and Vadodara would be given water. This practice has been continued, but now it needs the Board8217;s approval.

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Municipal Commissioner G R Aloria was not available for comments.