Mumbai: The Aam Aadmi Party today slammed the BMC for its retrospective tariff increase of 7.2% for water tax and termed it as a gross 'injustice' to Mumbaikars.
Pointing out to Mumbai's tropical geography and the heavy rain the city receives, Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP Mumbai President said that Mumbai is blessed when it comes to torrential rains and there is enough of water for everyone. She compared AAP's Delhi policy of subsidised water and electricity to Delhiites.
AAP slams BMC and BEST
Sharma added, "The BMC has humongous budgets, not to mention the over Rs 80,000 crores stashed as fixed deposits. It may be recalled, that the AAP Government in Delhi, provides free 20,000 litres water a month to every family for domestic consumption. This is not a question of money, but of political will, which the BJP controlled BMC clearly lacks. Instead of increasing water tax, the BMC should work on eliminating losses due to water leakage in water supply distribution and pilferage by the water mafia, which continues to function with impunity. We demand that the water tax hike be rolled back immediately, failing which we launch an agitation against the BJP controlled BMC."
Ruben Mascarenhas, Mumbai Working President, Aam Aadmi Party slammed the ruling party on poor public service delivery and rampant corruption in the BMC. "Inflation, rising unemployment and post-Covid disruption to the economy have strained household finances. This additional tax hike is nothing but an additional burden on Mumbaikars," Mascarenhas said.
BMC'S BEST recently ordered all its customers to compulsorily pay a security deposit equal to twice the average of the bill amount of the last 12 months.
BEST's electricity division supplies electricity to around 10.80 lakh consumers in Mumbai. It has 8 lakh 50 thousand residential customers and 2 lakh 30 thousand commercial customers.
Adv Sandeep Katke, Vice-president, Aam Aadmi Party Mumbai also slammed the BMC and BEST on its policy decision saying that Mumbaikars pay the highest electricity tariff rate in India. Katke added, "In 2013, BEST has already collected Rs 3000 from every consumer, in the name of Transport Division Loss Revenue (TDLR). Why then collect security deposit when the previous collection is itself subjudice in the SC? The BMC's default reaction to everything is to simply tax the consumer, rather than correct it's own inefficiencies and eliminate corruption."
Katke further said that the AAP Government in Delhi, provides 200 units of free electricity to each household for domestic consumption and that electricity consumption is not a luxury but a basic necessity to lead a dignified life. "We demand an immediate withdrawal of this order and a complete roll back of security deposit. We will launch and agitation against the BJP controlled BMC and 'Gherao' the BEST headquarters on December 28," he said.
