Bengaluru, Jan 28 Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar said on Tuesday that revision of water charges was inevitable in the state as it has been static for the past 11 years.
Talking to the media, Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, said once the report on the proposed increase in water price is submitted, steps will be taken to implement it.
He said this after a meeting with Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) officials at the Cauvery Bhavan in Bengaluru.
He said measures will be taken to regularise illegal water connections and maintain records of water usage and connections.
On the price hike of drinking water further affecting common people reeling under inflation, the Deputy Chief Minister said: "The water bill has not been revised in Bengaluru for the past 11 years, resulting in an annual loss of Rs 1,000 crore to BWSSB."
Shivakumar claimed that the Congress government will re-introduce the Rs 20 crore subsidy earmarked for providing water to slum dwellers and the poor, which was "discontinued" by the previous BJP government.
For pending water bills, Shivakumar said that he instructed officials to prepare a report on introducing One-Time Settlement for defaulters.
He said that tenders for the construction of the Rs 17,780 crore tunnel road project will be invited by February end.
When asked about opposition to the tunnel road project by BJP MP P. C. Mohan, Shivakumar clarified, "This project does not require land acquisition as it will be underground."
On the issue of B-Khata properties in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said that a revolutionary system not seen anywhere else in the country will soon be introduced in Bengaluru and a detailed announcement will be made next week.
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