Water tax likely to increase in Vijayawada
Vijayawada – Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is planning to increase water tax in the city due to overburden of power surcharge.
On a regular basis, around Rs 20 crore is being spent towards supplying drinking water in the city. As of now, the revenue being collected through water tax is around Rs 8 crore.
Now the corporation is being overloaded with additional power charges. Adding to this, diesel price has also been hiked which is increasing the burden on the corporation. This has resulted in the corporation paying an additional charge of around Rs 4 crore.
Currently Vijayawada city has more than 7,885 commercial water connections with meters and the officials are planning to install another 10,000 water meters. Below Poverty Line (BPL) families already have 49,000 tap connections.
In this regard, the officials are thinking to increase the present slab of Rs 50 of BPL families to Rs 75 and Rs 125 for those who are paying property tax of Rs 500. They are also planning to set up water meters for the taxpayers who are paying property tax above Rs 1500.
Source said that, the municipal authorities are planning to rise the water tax as the local MP and MLA’s did not support the corporation in canceling the power surcharge. Even the Members of CPM and CPI (Communist Party of India) were not happy and thus organised a meeting to protest the corporation’s move to increase the water tax.
The members of CPI party explained that this proposal should be taken with the approval of a standing council meeting. They alleged that the officials have no right to adopt anti-people policies. The municipal corporation and elected representatives could not arrange funds from the state government and thus transferred their burden to taxpayers.
Click here for related forum discussion
Related Civic Issues News:
Godavari drinking water project picks speed
Power charges hit Water board
No plans prepared to overcome water crisis in Hyderabad
Below Poverty Line, BPL, Vijayawada, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, VMC, Water meters, water tax in Vijayawada
