The GVMC’s proposal to increase water tariff for semi-bulk category drew flak with the Visakhapatnam Apartment Residents’ Welfare Association (VARWA) opposing it and taking exception to it being not invited to the stake-holders’ meeting.
Stating that the GVMC was paying Rs.172 crore to the Irrigation Department and the Visakhapatnam Industrial Water Supply Company (VISWCO), while the revenue was Rs.152 crore, Municipal Commissioner Pravin Kumar said the increase in tariff for bulk and semi-bulk categories was imminent. Though revision was due last year it could not be done for various reasons.
The VARWA said in spite of it representing hundreds of apartment associations, it was not invited to the stake-holders’ meeting and termed the Commissioner’s appeal unilateral.
VARWA general secretary A.V. Ramana Rao and president Ch.L.N. Sastry said the quantity supplied under semi-bulk category to apartments was less than the supply to individual houses. The association has been demanding for long that since the middle class lives in apartments they should be taken off semi-bulk category. But it was not conceded and semi-bulk charges were being extracted from them.
They demanded that the proposal to hike water tariff be withdrawn and the quantity supplied to apartments be increased exempting them from semi-bulk category.
The CPI(M) has also opposed the hike and contended the Commissioner’s remark that water tariff was the lowest in GVMC.
It demanded that 750 litres of water be supplied free of cost to household as was being done in New Delhi.
Apartment residents urge the GVMC to drop the proposal immediately
