Water Arrears In Certain Delhi Colonies To Be Waived Off: Kejriwal

The chief minister said 10.5 lakh people living in these colonies will be benefited by this move.

Representational Picture (AFP)

New Delhi: In a major decision, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said water arrears of consumers having functional domestic meters residing in category - E, F, G and H colonies in the city will be waived off by the government. There are eight categories of colonies in Delhi - A to H. Addressing a press conference here, Kejriwal said “today we are announcing a scheme to waive arrears to clean up Delhi Jal Board's books. Some of these arrears are due to consumers but some are also due to incorrect billing.” The chief minister said 10.5 lakh people living in these colonies will be benefited by this move. He said the late payment surcharge will also be waived off for those consumers who get their functional meters installed by November 30 this year. The move comes ahead of the Assembly polls in Delhi scheduled to take place early next year. Kejriwal claimed that his government acted against water tanker mafia in the city and has almost eliminated the menace. He, however, acknowledged that there are cases of leaking pipes and water theft still rampant in the national capital which his government is making regular attempts to fix. In his Independence day address, Kejriwal announced that rides on DTC and cluster buses would be free for women from October 29. (With additional information from Agencies)