On completing one year in office this week, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is all set to announce huge slab-wise waivers to consumers in unauthorised colonies with huge outstanding dues pending against their water bills till November 30. About 11.87 lakh consumers owe about Rs 2,854 crore, including Rs 923 crore late payment surcharge, to the Delhi Jal Board. The scheme is likely to be made operative from February 15 till July-end.
A proposal to this effect moved by principal secretary (urban development) Chetan B. Sanghi is awaiting final nod of the Kejriwal Cabinet. However, the scheme will benefit only those individuals and bulk consumers who have a functional water meter. Those consumers who will install their meters before the closing date of the scheme can also avail of the benefit. The proposed scheme will also benefit consumers who will clear their due arrears up to July-end.
While the AAP government is already providing 20,000 litres of water free of cost to each household every month, the cent per cent waiver on late payment surcharge and slab-wise waiver on accumulated arrears is bound to add more burden on the DJB, which is a loss-making utility of the state administration. The total annual budget of the DJB is about Rs 1,500 crore.
The scheme for waiver of cent per cent late payment surcharge and slab-wise waiver on accumulated arrears would be based on the category of colony on the basis of the MCD house tax in respect of all domestic individual and bulk water connections. Last time, the DJB had offered cent per cent rebate of late payment surcharge and 30 per cent on principal arrears (excluding the surcharge) in 2013-14.
A highly-placed source said that a decision regarding waivers on the category-based colonies was taken at a meeting chaired by Mr Kejriwal with members of the Delhi Assembly. The source said that the formula evolved at the meeting suggested cent per cent waiver to G and H category colonies based on their property tax. For E & F colonies, the government is expected to waive 75 per cent of the principal amount, for C & D colonies the waiver will be to the tune of 50 per cent and for A & B category it will be mere 25 per cent of the principal amount.
Although the DJB does not maintain data based on categorisation of colonies for property tax, it carried out an intense exercise to classify and tag the revenue consumer database of the board for effective implementation of the scheme. To avail of the benefit, the consumers are required to pay the net amount after deducting cent per cent surcharge amount from the arrears and further rebate in the principal dues, if any, as per their respective categories on or before the closing date of the scheme, but only after installing their working meter.
The government is said to have decided not to levy late payment surcharge on consumers during the course of the scheme. And, in case, if the rebate is not reflected in subsequent water bill in spite of fulfilling the conditions by the consumer, the same would be granted by their area’s joint director or deputy director of the revenue department.
A senior officer said, keeping in view the financial health of the DJB, the AAP government will be reimbursing the amount waived under the scheme to the board. Based on the response and other factors, the scheme can also be extended beyond July-end with the approval of the DJB chairman.
