AURANGABAD: Demanding regular water supply in the city, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Wednesday addressed a news conference and warned that if regular supply is not restored in 10 days, the party workers will uproot the water connection of the civic chief’s official bungalow.
Office bearers maintained that despite making written representation to the Aurangabad municipal administrator Astik Kumar Pandey, they have failed to get any convincing response. MNS also questioned the logic of imposing equal water tax on the areas with a regular water supply and those that have an erratic supply schedule.
Party’s district coordination Bipin Naik said: “If the AMC administrator does not ensure regular water supply (at least twice a week), and reverse the exorbitant water taxes, we will disconnect the administrator’s official bungalow’s water connection.”
The officer-bearers maintained that earlier, the city used to get water daily. Then it got water once in two days, and gradually, the gap increased. In fact, some areas now get water supply once in eight days.
Naik said that in 2011, when the contract was signed with the water utility company for laying a parallel pipeline, the tax was Rs 1,800. The contract had a condition that the water utility company would increase the tax by 10% each year. “This company did not start work till 2014, but water taxes were increased to Rs 2,500, Rs 2,750 and Rs 3,050 till 2014. And in 2015, it was became Rs 3,350. And now the tax is Rs 4,050,” said Naik.
MNS office-bearers said civic bodies in Nashik and Pune that provide water daily supply to citizens, charge Rs 1,400 and Rs 1,250, respectively.
