'New citizens' up in arms against penalty for water charges

Residents of newly added BBMP areas asked to pay it along with BCC

Residents of areas newly added to BBMP limits are protesting against the BWSSB for collecting penalty along with the beneficiary capital contribution (BCC) from new consumers who had not paid their BCC charges.

Special camps have been set up mainly in the newly added areas for the purpose and the Board has clearly mentioned in its application forms about BCC plus penalty.

A V Shama Rao, president of Ramamurthynagar Residents’ Welfare Association, said new consumers would have to pay penalty along with BCC to avail new connections.  ­“As they were not sure if BWSSB would actually supply water, Many residents did not pay BCC initially.

The BCC was collected prior to the launch of the Greater Bangalore Water Supply and Sanitary Project in 2005. Many residents who paid BCC that time complained that BWSSB did not give them a date by when Cauvery water would be supplied,” he said.

Residents from the newly added BBMP areas have been facing a severe water crisis.

Although BWSSB collected BCC from over one lakh consumers here, the Board was not sure when they would actually commission the Cauvery IV stage II phase project to supply an additional 500 million litres of water per day.

With the Cauvery project all set to be commissioned now, BWSSB is ensuring that the new consumers pay the BCC along with penalty.

According to a BWSSB official, government orders were issued on March 26, 2004 and March 9, 2005, which said BCC, along with penalty, would be collected from consumers paying for new connections obtained  between August 1, 2005 and December 31, 2008.

The penalty was collected calculating a minimum of Rs 100 per month for 30 months. Any consumer who has applied for a new connection will now have to pay penalty depending on the area on which the house is constructed.

The official said BCC plus penalty can be paid in four to 24 instalments depending on the consumer’s affordability.