Members of the city Tax Payers’ Association on Tuesday urged the Telugu Desam Government in the State to withdraw its proposal to implement residential water meters across the State.
“Instead of focussing on steps to harness flood water in rivers and supply adequate drinking water to people, it is unfortunate that the government is resorting to ‘commodification’ of water,” M.V. Anjaneyulu, secretary of the association, told a press conference here. Association president V. Sambireddy reminded that the erstwhile Congress Government had tried to bring in water meters as part of JNNURM norms but was forced to beat a hasty retreat due to stiff resistance by people.
They said attempts were on to introduce water meters across the State as part of the first batch of State-level action plan under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) approved by the Union Ministry of Urban Development. The AMRUT plan envisaged enabling water supply as per the norms and providing water supply and sewerage connection to all urban households.
They said the Vijayawada Municipal Council had met on April 4 and approved an agenda to implement norms associated with AMRUT. The former Congress Government implemented the JNNURM without proper study of its pros and cons leading to the financial bankruptcy of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation. This had resulted in a huge tax burden on people in the city. The TDP Government was doing the same—implementing AMRUT without discussing its boons and banes. They said the Corporation authorities owed an explanation on the distinction between JNNURM and AMRUT.
“TDP toeing Cong. line”
While the Congress rulers said that their plan was to supply drinking water round the clock and meter it, the TDP Government took the same line. But it went a step further and included not just cities and towns but also villages in its meter-installation plans, they said, pointing to the statement of Deputy Chief Minister K.E. Krishnamurhty who had announced recently that water meters were being installed in homes in Pathikonda mandal of Kurnool district on a pilot basis. The Association leaders said the TDP corporators in the city, who had protested against the water meters’ move in the Congress rule, were silent now. This reflects the fact that the TDP government is toeing the Congress line, they said.
It amounts to commodification
of water, says
tax payers’ association
