Water connections to flats built by BJP MLA’s firm snapped

SHIMLA: The district administration on Thursday ordered the irrigation and public health department to snap the water connections to private apartments constructed by builder and BJP legislator Balbir Singh Verma in Jakhu locality.

Themove came after the Himachal Pradesh high court ordered the municipal corporation to disconnect water supply to 224 hotels which had failed to pay their water bills.

During his visit to the locality, deputy commissioner Amit Kashyap found illegal water connections to the flats built by Verma’s construction company. He also sought compliance report from the department.

Verma, who got elected in 2012 as an independent from Chopal, had switched to the BJP ahead of the assembly elections last year.

During an interaction with the DC, the keymen given the responsibility of distributing water in different localities expressed fears over public anger. There have been instances when residents protesting watershortageroughedupsome keymen.

The administration has also sealed five borewells in Khalini and Kanlog areas.

“All these borewells were selling waters to private tankers,” said Kashyap.

Acting chief justice of the high court Sanjay Karol along with the deputy commissioner inspected the water control roomsontheRidgeandinChotta ShimlaonWednesdaynight.The court had directed the legal service authority to depute volunteers to monitor the water distribution.

HC ASKS OFFICIALS TO APPEARINPERSON

The Himachal Pradesh high court on Thursday directed the secretary (irrigation and public health department, special secretary (tourism department), Shimlamunicipalcommissioner and the municipal engineer to be present in the court on Friday.