NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri on Friday claimed the Delhi Jal Board has substantially raised water and sewer connection charges in the city. “The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has made a huge increase in both water and sewer charges, naming the development charges as infrastructure charges,” the BJP leader said in a statement.
“Earlier, only Rs 20,000 had to be paid as development fee for domestic water connection on a 200 square metre plot, but now about Rs 3.80 lakh will have to be paid for it. In case of a water connection on a commercial plot of 200 square metres, about Rs 7 lakh will have to be spent in the name of development fee,” he alleged.
Rejecting the allegations, the Delhi Jal Board said it has already abolished levy of water and sewer development charges. “The levying of infrastructure charges was restarted in October 2020 and it is applicable only for those properties with an area more than 200 square metres,” it said in a statement.
The BJP leader further alleged that for a domestic sewer connection, a development fee of about Rs 2.5 lakh will have to be paid on a 200 square metre plot, while for a commercial connection, Rs 4.25 lakh will have to be paid.