Over 900 illegal water connections regularised in Moga without penalty
The regularisation has been done for a fee of Rs 500; a new connection costs Rs 5,000. MOGA MC OFFICIAL
MOGA: In a serious act of omission that points to widespread corruption, the Moga municipal corporation (MC) has regularised over 900 illegal water and sewerage connections over the past two months, by just charging a government fee between Rs 200 and Rs 500 per connection. Officials did not collect road cutting charges, connection fee, security fee, arrears and penalty, resulting in loss of revenue to the state exchequer, the MC record shows.
What raises eyebrows even more is the fact that MC has regularised these connections when the policy for regularisation of unauthorised connections was in the pipeline. On Monday itself, the state government has announced that it will implement ‘One Time Settlement Policy’ for unauthorised water and sewerage connections. There is no notification.
“The regularisation of illegal connections has been done at very low fee, even as for a new connection, residents have to pay over Rs 5,000 under various heads,” said an MC official, on the condition of anonymity.
The matter came to light when Davinder Singh, a superintendent of water and sewerage branch of MC, filed a reply over allegations of corruption in regularisation of illegal connections. On May 18, the MC had issued a circular seeking applications for regularisation of illegal water and sewerage connections. The circular asked offenders to deposit between Rs 100 and Rs 500 for regularisation of connection. HT has a copy of this circular and the superintendent’s reply.
Davinder Singh, superintendent of water and sewerage branch, said, “There are over 3,000 illegal connections in the city and we have regularised 938 of these. The corporation had issued a circular for regularisation of these connections, and I performed my duty as directed.”
Moga MC commissioner Surinder Singh, said, “I will look into the matter immediately. I have joined only recently.”