Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs staged a protest in front of the Delhi Assembly on Friday, demanding the implementation of the one-time settlement scheme for unpaid water bills and urging residents not to pay inflated bills.
MLA Kuldeep Kumar highlighted the plight of citizens receiving exorbitant bills, citing an example of a resident in a small house receiving a ₹6 lakh bill. He questioned the delay in implementing the scheme despite approval from both the Delhi Assembly and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In a symbolic gesture, Kumar tore up water bills in the Assembly, vowing to continue protests until the scheme is implemented. Last week, the Delhi government announced the scheme offering reduced payment options based on usage patterns, aimed at resolving the issue of inflated bills and encouraging payment from the 1.6 million consumers with outstanding dues.
MLA Jai Bhagwan highlighted the influx of complaints regarding inflated bills, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of hindering the scheme's implementation.
AAP MLAs disrupted the Assembly session by entering the Well of the House and raising slogans against the non-implementation. They refused to heed Speaker Ram Niwas Goel's appeals to resume their seats.
However, Leader of the Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri blamed the Kejriwal government for the inflated bills, attributing them to faulty air-flow water meters installed during their tenure. He accused the AAP of political maneuvering and disrupting the budget session for personal gain.