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TOI : PUNE: The proposal to reduce water tax charges was kept pending at the general body meeting of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Monday.

Independent corporator Maruti Bhapkar and NCP corporator R S Kumar had tabled a proposal that the citizens are charged water tax at the rate of Rs 2.50 per 1,000 litres for all water consumption, instead of the current slabs of charges. Initiating the debate on the proposal, Bhapkar said he and Kumar opposed the exorbitant charges of the PCMC, which annually collects Rs 1,160 per household as water tax.

He said the PCMC has collected the tax for the entire year that ended in March. Still, the civic body will charge water tax as per the water meter readings from this month onwards, which was improper. Citizen will get exorbitant amount of water tax bills as per the water meter readings and corporators will have to take flak from them.

Kumar said former municipal commissioner Dilip Band had assured to provide 24 hour water supply to Pradhikaran residents, which is not done yet. There has been a reduction in the amount of water supplied to Pradhikaran areas from 42 MLD to just 26 MLD, he said.

NCP corporator Mahesh Landge pointed out that the residents of Dighi and Charholi areas have received water tax bills of past four years now and faced problems paying them. Another NCP corporator Meena Patil too pointed out that the residents in her ward have received water tax bills of the past seven years.

Congress corporator Shrirang Barne asked for the total number of water meters installed in the municipal limits and the number of those that were yet to be installed. The officials did not give a reply and the proposal was kept pending.

The proposal to give octroi concession to the special economic zone (SEZ) in the PCMC limits for a period…More