Holding the erstwhile H.D. Kumaraswamy-led Congress-Janata Dal(S) coalition government in the State responsible for the steep hike in water tariff in the Mangaluru City Corporation limits, Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath has said that voters will not believe in the words of Mangaluru MLA U.T. Khader and other Congress leaders who are now blaming the B.S. Yediyurappa government for it.
Talking to reporters here on Monday, Mr. Kamath said that corporation Commissioner Mohammed Nazeer notified increase in the tariff of water for domestic and other consumers on June 21, 2019, when the corporation was under the control of the Deputy Commissioner who was appointed as the corporation administrator as the five-year term of the council had ended.
“The Congress-Janata Dal(S) was ruling then and district in-charge Minister was Mr. Khader. The coalition government should take the blame for the rise in water tariff,” Mr. Kamath said.
The new tariff order was contrary to the resolution passed by the corporation council on October 31, 2018 that had allowed increase in tariff of water for all, expect domestic consumers. The new tariff order was brought into effect on April 1, 2019.
Mr. Khader and other Congress leaders cannot blame the Yediyurappa government that came to power in July this year. The Kumaraswamy-led coalition government failed to consider the burden on the people and allowed the corporation administrator to hike water tariff.
The corporation hiked water tariff from ₹ 7 to ₹ 3 per kilolitre and fixed the minimum monthly tariff at ₹ 56 for 8,000 litres of water.
“People know the facts. They cannot be fooled by the statements made by Mr. Khader and other Congress leaders,” Mr. Kamath said and added that the Yediyurappa government was looking at resolving the issue. “I cannot say anything more in view of the model code of conduct in force,” he said.
