While the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) administration boasts about not imposing any tax hikes on the taxpayers in the budget for the current financial year, it has sealed a tenfold increase in the rates for getting new tap connections during its general body meeting. By increasing the charges for various works done by plumbers for tap connections, an extra tax has been imposed on citizens.
The general body meeting was presided over by NMC administrator and commissioner Dr Chandrakant Pulkundwar on the last day of the previous financial year, on Friday, March 31. When NMC Water Supply Department Executive Engineer Shivaji Chavanke submitted the proposal to impose the new rates, it was approved by the general body.
At present, there are more than two lakh authorised tap connection holders in the city.
Currently, new construction of buildings, bungalows, and colonies is coming up across the city. NMC is responsible for supplying water to these properties. The civic body has not increased the rate of the water bill in the past few years. If NMC hikes the water bill, it is likely to face citizens' ire. Thus, the administration is said to have secretly hiked the price, which is 10 times more than the previous rate.
According to the new rates, the reconnection fee for half-inch taps for domestic use will be Rs 250 instead of Rs 50, while that for one-inch taps will be Rs 500 instead of Rs 100.
According to the prevailing orders of the public works department, a road damage fee will also be charged now.
For a domestic half-inch tap connection, the deposit amount is now Rs 500 instead of the previous Rs 200. Also, for a one-inch domestic tap, the deposit is Rs 2,000 instead of Rs 800.
Although there is no increase in the fee for the household connection of half-inch pipe, the one-inch pipe connection fee has been hiked to Rs 500 instead of Rs 250.
For non-domestic taps, the ferrule connection fee has been increased by two to four times. This amount will vary depending on the size of the tap. For commercial buildings, the ferrule connection fee for a half-inch pipe connection has been hiked by 15 times, from Rs 50 to Rs 750. Also, instead of Rs 100 for a one-inch commercial tap, Now Rs. 1,500 will be charged. The deposit amount for commercial construction has been increased from Rs 800 to Rs 2,000 for half-inch connections and from Rs 3,200 to Rs 10,000 for one-inch connections.