Somita Pal: Mumbai: DNA: Tuesday, Oct 26, 2010,
Pay water dues by November 30, or else get ready to face penalty. That’s the BMC’s new mandate.
Similar to the income tax department, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a pardon programme titled Abhay Yojana. As per this new initiative, defaulters can pay pending water and sewerage charges bills in one go and escape having to pay fines and related penalties. The last day for doing the same is November 30.
A Right to Information (RTI) application has revealed that there has been a disproportionate rise in outstanding arrears from private and government authorities; it has gone up by Rs18,97,999.
According to the scheme announced by the civic body, the defaulter would have to shell out only the outstanding amount of the water charges, sewerage charges, and meter rent of the water charges bills: all in one go. “The defaulter will also get the benefit of exemption from all the pending additional charges that have been accumulating for the last several years,” said a senior official from the hydraulic department.
According to statistics available with DNA, the outstanding arrears from private and government authorities have increased by Rs18,97,999 as against a decrease in case of the common man by Rs10,46,070.
“This would certainly add to the BMC’s coffers, that otherwise might have been written off as bad debts,” informed a senior civic official.
However, RTI activist Milind Mulay said, “The successful recovery of dues from the common man (by BMC), shows that they are capable. Then why don’t they use this power while collecting dues from government and private firms. I have written to the municipal commissioner highlighting the issue. The increase in the tax arrears should not be at the cost of honest citizens. The BMC should also recover arrears from those who are regularly defaulting it,” he added.
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