Delhi's water bill surcharge waiver scheme extended till August 15
What's the story
The Delhi government has extended its water bill surcharge waiver scheme till August 15, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma announced on Friday. The scheme, which was launched last October, waives off late payment surcharges (LPSC) for domestic water consumers who pay their principal amount by the deadline. Over 3.3 lakh people have benefited from this initiative so far.
Financial relief
Scheme has provided rebates of ₹1,493 crore
Since its launch, the scheme has provided rebates of ₹1,493 crore to domestic consumers. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has collected ₹430 crore in revenue from principal payments under this scheme. Verma expects recoveries to increase significantly after the next billing cycle when updated bills reflecting waived surcharges are issued. He also said that over 16 lakh domestic customers have pending water dues totaling ₹11,000 crore.
Extension reasons
Issues in billing system
The deadline for the scheme was extended after several requests from Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) and public representatives. Verma said that there are issues in DJB's billing system which have prevented some consumers from availing themselves of the scheme. To address these problems, the government is working on fixing software glitches so that people can get updated bills after paying their water bills.
Upcoming initiatives
Plans to set up water lok adalats
Verma also announced plans to set up water Lok Adalats and camps where people can resolve their water billing-related issues on the spot. The minister appealed to consumers to pay their bills and avail themselves of the benefits under the scheme before its extended deadline ends. On October 14, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced a complete waiver of late payment surcharges of water bills for domestic consumers till January 31.