NEW DELHI: Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president Harsh Vardhan on Saturday asked Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also the Chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board, to provide a 50 per cent rebate on water supply charges to the Capital's water consumers. "It is unfortunate that the Congress Government is using water to earn profits and oblige the World Bank without bothering to ensure regular supply of this essential commodity to the people,'' he added.

Inflated bills

In a statement, Dr. Vardhan said that on December 1 last year water charges were raised sharply from 200 to 600 per cent. He said :"Since April this year the charges have been increased surreptitiously. Inflated bills of water are being served on the people who till the other day were struggling to pay their enhanced power bills.

The lower and the middle class consumers were being forced to pay three times more and the high income groups and the commercial consumers were being asked to shell out even more. Despite the hike in water tariffs and open loot of the people at the hands of the contractors of the Delhi Jal Board, the struggle for clean and sufficient drinking water continues as several areas across the Capital were faced with severe shortage".

A large number of cases had also emerged where people were being served bills without getting any water supply during that period, Dr. Vardhan added.

Privatisation of Board

The BJP leader said Jal Board officials who were preparing ground for privatisation of the Board were doing so with the knowledge and under the directions of the Chief Minister. "Earlier consumers had to pay only for the water they consumed. But now with the hike in tariffs, the Government has also introduced a new `fixed charge' and `surcharge' under which, irrespective of the consumption, people will have to pay these charges. Due to this surcharge the water bills have shot up by one and half times,'' he added.

Different slabs

Dr. Vardhan said that after the unreasonable surcharge and fixed charge, now different slabs have been made on the basis of consumption of water for fleecing the public. Now an amount of Rs. 40 to Rs. 120 is being recovered for the consumption of each kilolitre of water. For the non-residential areas the amount was being recovered at a rate of Rs. 600 per kilolitre. Due to this, the water charges in the Capital have increased by five to 30 times leaving the consumers high and dry.

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