Times of India: Nagpur: Monday,
April 21, 2014.
Following an
expose by an RTI activist, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has snapped
water supply to the sprawling Empress City. Water supply to Empress Mall also
stands disconnected as it is also a part of Empress City. The civic body was
not taking any action against Empress City despite its water tariff arrears
mounting to Rs 16.50 crore.
After
obtaining information under the RTI Act, activist Sanjay Agrawal had exposed
NMC water works department's lack of action in the issue. The Rs 16.50 crore
arrears amount to a whopping 19% of the annual revenue of the water works
department.
NMC executive
engineer Azizur Rehman told TOI that water supply was disconnected on Thursday.
"KSL Industries, the project owner of Empress City, had raised an
objection about the water tariff being levied by the NMC in 2009. NMC had asked
KSL to pay the arrears according to its estimation so that a final adjustment
could be done after the order on the objection. But since KSL did not pay the
amount, Orange City Water Private Limited proposed to disconnect the water
connection," he said.
NMC sources
told TOI that KSL Industries had not applied for separate water connections for
Empress City and Empress Mall. "KSL was given the old connection of
Empress Mill. NMC started to levy water tariff of construction which increased
to a great extent in 2009-10. KSL had to pay water bill according to
construction tariff for water consumed at Empress Mall also due to a single
connection," sources said.
Sources added
that single water connection will be continued at Empress City even after flats
are allotted in the township. "NMC had asked KSL Industries to install
water meters at all flats and one main meter on the connection given by the NMC
to the Empress City area. NMC will take reading of the total consumption and
then consumption of the flats. Residential tariff will be levied for the flats'
consumption and commercial for the remaining consumption," the sources
said.
A senior NMC
official said Empress City also owes huge amount of property tax arrears.
"The township and mall ran into controversy with layout and building plan
violations. KSL Industries submitted a revision building plan but NMC rejected
it. KSL was asked to ensure payment of entire property tax amount and bank
guarantee for township," he said.
Pran Agrawal,
an official from KSL and Industries Limited, did not respond to TOI's call and
messages.
.JPG)
.JPG)
