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Water Tax, Meters Not Possible Before Civic Polls: Mayor

By akansha, Section Water
Posted on Mon Jun 22, 2009 at 03:32:03 AM EST

Two days after Mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya reiterated Kolkata Municipal Corporation's (KMC) plan to install water meters in the city and introduction of water tax during his budget speech, the Mayor has that both the plans could not see the light of the day during his tenure considering the upcoming municipal polls in 2010.

"We have floated tenders for installing water meters and have also shortlisted the agencies. But we are neither able to install water meters nor able to impose water tax as the municipal polls are approaching," Bhattacharya told The Indian Express on Sunday.

"We do not want to face public ire any more. But we know it has to be installed as it is a part of the Asian Development Bank-assisted Kolkata Environmental Improvement Project (KEIP)," he added. "Considering the political situation, I don't think that the work of installing water meters will take place during my tenure," he added.

One reason that the CPM-dominated KMC is finding it difficult to go ahead with the two plans is the resistance offered by its own allies Forward Bloc and the RSP.

Source: The Indian Express Water tax, meters not possible before civic polls: Mayor

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While the bloc leaders have declined to comment on the issue, RSP leader and Deputy Mayor Kalyan Mukherjee has openly come out against it.

"If the CPM goes ahead with the project there will be a huge protest and a strong public reaction. We cannot allow the Opposition to take advantage of the issue in the upcoming KMC election," said Mukherjee.

The opposition Trinamool Congress has already threatened to protest against it in a big way.

The KMC is supposed to install the water meters by 2010 when the ADB-assisted KEIP comes to an end. A clause in the agreement signed between ADB and the KMC calls for stopping the wastage of water and installation of water meters by the decade-end.

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