Delhi Jal Board to come up with 'one-time settlement' scheme for consumers facing bill discrepancies

Delhi Jal Board has decided to come up with a "one-time settlement" scheme for the consumers who facing bill discrepancies and receiving higher or wrong bills in the city, chairman and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Wednesday.

The Minister said that the Board would prepare the plan within a week regarding the settlement of the consumers' bills.

Addressing a press conference here, Sisodia said that important decisions were taken in the Jal Board meeting today on providing 24 hours water to the residents of Delhi.

"Delhi Jal Board meeting was held. Important decisions were taken on providing 24 hours water to all. People were complaining that more water bills are coming. We were also receiving complaints from the MLAs that people were getting more bills. So we are planning to bring in a one-time settlement scheme. The Jal Board officials would devise a plan within a week to make a settlement of the people receiving the wrong bills," he said.

"There are 26 lakh water meters, out of which 18 lakh people do not have any problem but 8 lakh people are troubled by high bills, Jal Board is bringing a one-time settlement scheme for these people. There is a problem with 8 lakh meters. For them, we had decided to waive the late payment surcharge, after which 4.5 lakh out of 8 lakh people have deposited Rs 252 crores. But the rest of the people feel that there is a problem with their bill. So one-time settlement will be done for all of them.," Sisodia added.

The Minister said that the consumers can either write to the government or change the meter at their homes from the market.

"The consumer whose meter is defective can either write to the government to change the meter or can directly replace the defective meter by buying it from the market, earlier only the government had the right to replace the defective meter," he said.

"Providing water to the people of Delhi 24 hours is the priority of the Chief Minister," Sisodia stressed.

He also announced to set up of 10 new underground reservoirs (UGR).

"Today it has also been decided to make ten new UGRs. At 6 new places, 4 old UGRs will be made new again. 300 km of new pipeline will be laid and 84 km of old pipeline will be renewed. 280 km long new pipeline will be laid in 43 unauthorized colonies and 14 villages," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )

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