TIRUNELVELI: Tirunelveli Corporation Council on Thursday increased the deposit and user charges of water consumption and Underground Drainage (UGD) connection for both domestic and non-domestic users. The monthly water consumption charges have been increased by 20% to 200%, and the deposit amount rose from 15% to 23%.
The hikes were endorsed at the council meeting chaired by Mayor G Ramakrishnan in the presence of Corporation Commissioner Dr Monika Rana.
The resolution states residents who were paying a flat Rs 100 as monthly water consumption charges will have to pay Rs 120 for houses with a plinth area of up to 600 sq ft, Rs 150 for 601-1,200 sq ft, Rs 180 for 1,201-1,800 sq ft, Rs 210 for 1,801-3,500 sq ft, Rs 250 for 3,501-5,000 sq ft, Rs 280 for 5,001-10,000 sq ft and Rs 300 for above 10,000 sq ft.
The charges for non-domestic and industrial connections have also been revised up to Rs 900. The deposit amount for both new water supply and UGD connections saw a hike of 15% to 23%. For both the services residents with houses having a plinth area of up to 600 sq ft will have to pay Rs 7,500 hereafter, a rise of Rs 1,000. Non-domestic units with a plinth area of above 10,000 sq ft will have to pay a deposit of Rs 80,000 instead of the earlier Rs 65,000.
Alleging that the resolutions revising the charges were passed without allowing them to explain their stand, around 20 councillors submitted a petition to Ramakrishnan. They demanded that the water charges be fixed based on consumption.
The council also passed a resolution banning the use of plastic covers tied with rubber bands for packing liquid food items within the city limits. Speaking on the resolution, the Mayor said hotels pack gravies and other liquid food items in plastic covers tied with rubber bands. “This causes health issues among residents; hence, food establishments should use only government-approved covers and tie them with thread or jute string,” he said.
AIADMK councillors objected to the display of former Chief Minister MK Stalin’s portrait on the dais. They argued that if portraits of former CMs were to be displayed, the portrait of former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami should also have been placed there. They staged a protest inside the meeting hall carrying Palaniswami’s portrait.
