Chandigarh, April 30 — To curb mounting revenue losses and enforce timely bill payments, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) is set to propose a steep penalty on consumers who fail to clear water bills within two months.
The proposal, along with several key civic matters, will be tabled during the MC General House meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
According to the agenda note, the civic body is pushing for a 10% compound surcharge on overdue water bills left unpaid for more than two months — a significant departure from the current system, which levies a flat penalty without compounding.
“There’s no existing provision for compound penalties on prolonged non-payment, which encourages repeat defaults,” the note reads.
“This step is necessary to stem persistent losses and raise accountability.”
Under the existing Chandigarh Water Supply Bylaws, 2011 (amended periodically), a penalty is added to the subsequent billing cycle for late payments.
However, repeated defaulters face no escalating penalty, resulting in accumulated arrears that the MC finds difficult to recover.
To illustrate the change, officials explained: If a consumer receives a monthly bill of ₹100 and doesn’t pay for two months, the third month’s bill will reflect a compounded amount of ₹331 — factoring in both the arrears and penalties.
In contrast, under the current system, the penalty remains constant across billing cycles.
“This will act as a deterrent for habitual defaulters and ensure better recovery from one of the key revenue sources for the corporation,” a senior MC official said.
Also on the agenda is the revival of the long-stalled Smart Parking Project, under which parking charges are proposed to rise considerably.
The MC plans to make the first 15 minutes of parking free at all 84 designated lots to facilitate short-term visitors, while revising hourly charges thereafter.
If approved, four-wheelers will be charged ₹20 for up to four hours — up from the current ₹14 — and two-wheelers ₹10 instead of ₹7. Specific high-footfall areas such as Elante Mall, Fun Republic, and Piccadilly Square will see charges of ₹85 for the first four hours, making them the priciest parking zones in the city.
Another significant proposal involves the introduction of a new Fire Safety Act mandating fire clearance certificates for buildings taller than 9 metres.
Besides, the civic body is considering outsourcing horticulture waste management to a public sector agency.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress is gearing up to confront the BJP-led MC on the issue of property tax hikes, which were implemented earlier by the UT Administration.
“The rollback after public protests was partial and cosmetic. We’re demanding a full withdrawal,” said city Congress president HS Lucky.
“The BJP-backed administration’s move is unjustified and continues to burden the public. Our councillors will raise this firmly in the House.”
The House session is expected to be contentious, with key policy decisions and political sparring likely to shape the day’s proceedings.
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