Water traiff increased by Corp

AIADMK councillors wearing black badges at the Coimbatore Corporation Council on Monday to oppose the move to increase drinking water tariff.People in the city will have to pay a higher tariff for drinking water from January 1. The Coimbatore Corporation Council passed a resolution on Monday on the revised rates. It, however, struck down the Corporation proposal for a 100 per cent increase in the rates and had these fixed at 35 per cent to 50 per cent more than the existing ones. The tariff will be increased by 10 per cent every two years.

The minimum rate for the domestic (residential) connections has been increased from Rs. 3.50 to Rs. 4.50 for 1,000 litres up to 50,000 litres.At present, the Corporation buys water from the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board at Rs. 4.50 and sells it to the people at Rs. 3.50.The civic body had worked out a 100 per cent increase in order to wipe out the water and maintenance charge arrears it owed to the water board.The Council, however, did not approve of a 100 per cent hike. Most of the parties, including the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) wanted it scaled down.

At the end of the discussions that stretched into the night, the Council fixed the non-domestic rates at 50 per cent more than the current ones (see table).The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), Communist Party of India (CPI), Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) and the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) staged a walkout from the Council in protest against the increase.While these parties came prepared to oppose the hike move, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) sprang a surprise saying that it also rejected the 100 per cent increase.

When everyone thought that the AIADMK would lead the protest against the increase, and would be joined by the Communist parties, Leader of the Opposition and DMK member V.N. Udayakumar rose to announce his party’s rejection of the 100 per cent tariff increase.For a moment, it appeared as though the DMK had taken the wind out of the AIADMK’s sails with its surprise opposition to the proposed increase.The Communist Party of India’s K. Purushotaman then alleged that the DMK’s stand could not be genuine as one of its members was a party to proposing the increase in the charges.He pointed out that the Finance and Taxation Committee had proposed the rates and the DMK’s A. Nandakumar was its chairman. Besides, Mr. Udayakumar was also a member of the committee.When this was the truth, the new rates could not have been proposed without their knowledge.

Therefore, the DMK could not dissociate itself now from the tariff increase.Just as the meeting began, Leader of the AIADMK in the Council P. Rajkumar expressed his party’s opposition to the move to increase the charges.The councillor wondered why it was not discussed with various parties. “During the last two terms of the Council, any tariff increase was first discussed with the leaders of all the parties and then only brought to Council for approval,” he said.AIADMK MLAs R. Chinnaswamy (Singanallur constituency) and S.P. Velumani (Perur) also opposed the tariff increase. “What is most notable is the DMK’s objection to raising the water tariff,” Mr. Chinnaswamy remarked.

While staging the walkout, Mr. Rajkumar asked the Communist Party of India (Marxist) members to “regain their courage” and join the AIADMK in protesting against the tariff increase.Independent councillor N. Revathi wondered why water tariff was revised when the Corporation presented a tax-free budget for the current financial year.

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