Centre approves Rs 800 crore for Delhi Jal Board under AMRUT scheme
A meeting was held earlier this month between the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials and the apex committee on the AMRUT scheme under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs where funds were approved under the Yamuna cleaning project.
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New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Madurai corporation to complete fixing water meters by year-end
MADURAI: The Madurai city corporation hopes to complete the process of fixing water meters in household pipe connections by the end of this year. According to corporation sources, there are 2.8 lakh individual house connections in the corporation limits. Work to fix meters started in April 2024 and so far, 80% has been completed. The meters are being installed under the AMRUT scheme in two phases. Once the project ic completed, consumers will be charged a fee for the volume of water they have used, just like how power consumption is calculated and charged. According to data shared by corporation officials, there are 2,86,208 individual house service connections in the city. (95,250 connections given under AMRUT package-4 and 1,63,958 connections under AMRUT package-5). So far, the corporation has installed 2,38,167 water meters.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
In relief for Delhiites, govt to soon waive ‘pending, inflated' water bills: Minister
In a major relief to residents of the national capital, the Delhi government is soon going to waive 'pending, inflated' water bills, along with the late payment surcharge, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said Monday. Addressing a press conference on the BJP completing 100 days in power and the achievements of his departments, he said, 'A scheme to waive all domestic water bills is under preparation and it will be implemented soon. Once it is launched, all domestic water bills will be reduced by around 90%…' 'But until this scheme is officially launched, I have already said that if someone hasn't paid their bill, their connection won't be disconnected for now. The people of Delhi are aware that the government is bringing a new scheme, so everyone is waiting for it… So, until the bill payments are sorted out — and right now there are some technical issues — once that is resolved and the scheme is launched, it will reduce the inflated and pending bills up to 90%,' he added. He said that, currently, the software being used by the Delhi Jal Board was developed and maintained by Wipro. 'Their lease period has already ended, and they have been given an extension… the company has refused to make any further changes to the current system… Once this is resolved, the scheme will be launched,' he said. Sources said that under this scheme, the focus will be on waiving the Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) of domestic bills. 'LPSC charges are calculated at 18% interest plus compounding charges,' said sources. Currently, in the domestic category, the outstanding bill amount is approximately Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000 crore, out of which Rs 7,000 crore is LPSC. 'If we waive that, we will still be able to recover at least Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 crore,' said sources. 'Because several residents have not paid their bills for the past 8-9 years, this is an incentive for them to pay the principal amount. Once LPSC is waived, the government will rationalise the bills and give a timeline to the people to pay the principal amount. They will be asked to pay the bills in three to four months. No more extensions or schemes will come after this,' said sources. Besides, the minister also said that the government plans to upgrade the water billing system to address the challenges of revenue losses. According to officials, Delhi has approximately 29 lakh water connections. As per the 2011 census, Delhi has 34 lakh households. Last year, the previous AAP government also announced a one-time settlement scheme for pending water bills ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, claiming that it would benefit around 12 lakh consumers, of which 7 lakh will not have to pay any amount. However, the scheme hit a roadblock after the Finance Department raised questions and said that it would lead to financial implications. It said that the benefits of the scheme should not be given to the consumers who have not paid the bills for the last 11 years.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Govt May Roll Out Scheme To Address Inflated Water Bills
New Delhi: Delhi govt is likely to roll out a scheme to address the issue of inflated water bills, minister Parvesh Verma said on Monday. "We plan to introduce a bill waiver scheme soon under which all the domestic bills will be addressed and reduced by around 90%. The billing system is going to be restructured. Software for this is being developed and some technical issues are being worked out," he said. Delhi Jal Board (DJB) maintains about 27 lakh registered consumers. Several residents have raised concerns about inaccurate billing. According to an estimate, nearly 16 lakh out of 27 lakh consumers received inflated bills in the last few years. Many stopped paying the bills, reducing the water utility's revenues. In the Oct-Nov 2022 period, over 10,000 complaints were received about faulty water bills on the DJB portal. The previous AAP govt had promised to bring a one-time settlement scheme last year but could not execute it. A senior official said the scheme would be a one-time amnesty. If the person fails to pay even then, they will not get another chance. "Past arrears and late payment surcharge added to the current bills was one of the main reasons for the high bills. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like USDJPY đang đi lên không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Once these are waived, the bill will come down significantly," he said. Non-payment of incorrect bills had resulted in substantial financial losses for DJB. A one-time settlement scheme is anticipated to not only provide considerable relief to consumers, but also expected to significantly benefit the board, with projected earnings of about Rs 2,500 crore. A key feature of the initiative will be the automatic recalculation of bills, eliminating the need for customers to visit DJB offices for individual bill corrections, said the official. The streamlined process will enhance user convenience and encourage the settlement of outstanding payments, he added. Meanwhile, Verma announced that all unauthorised colonies will have sewer lines by 2027. "DJB is planning a master plan to address the problems of sewerage infrastructure and future needs of the city. A global tender will be issued soon," he said. Highlighting details of the projects undertaken in departments under him in the first 100 days of BJP govt, Verma, who also holds the PWD portfolio, said, "We have taken steps to address the waterlogging issue, such as installation of additional pumps at hotspots. About 35% of PWD drains have been desilted. For the remaining work, we have set a deadline of June 15." "Around 15 lakh metric tonnes of silt has been removed from large drains under the control of the irrigation and flood control department," he added. He said Delhi govt is working towards the mission of "one city, one control room, one number" for the monsoon, and a unified control room will be established at New Delhi Municipal Council Command Centre.
