Now, shell out more for electricity in Chandigarh

Ramkrishan Upadhyay   

Tribune News Service   

Chandigarh, July 26

Residents  of the  city will have  to  pay more as the  Chandigarh Municipal  Corporation  has imposed another cess of 10 paise  per unit  on electricity. The  cess has been   imposed  on all categories of consumers — domestic  as well as industrial.

The General House  of the  MC approved the proposal  amid a protest  from Congress councillors. KK Yadav, MC Commissioner, said the matter would be sent to the UT Administration  and the Joint  Electricity Regulatory Commission for approval. He said the MC would get around Rs 14 crore to Rs 17 crore annually from the  cess. Yadav said the MC was spending a huge amount on streets   lights   on roads  and parks.

This is the   second cess  on electricity consumers  as the  MC  had earlier imposed  a cow  cess  of 2  paise  per unit. With  this, the  residents will now have to pay     a total cess  of 12 paise per unit on electricity.

Devinder Singh Babla, Leader of the Opposition in the MC, opposed the  cess and said the  rates  of electricity had already   been increased  by 20 per cent  in April and later these were enhanced in the name of FPPCA charges. He said the  common man was already   facing the  heat of taxes.

Arun Sood, BJP councillor, also opposed the  cess,    saying that since the MC  had  no money for providing facilities, it had  no right to   impose  more tax.   

MC to regularise illegal water connections 

The Municipal Corporation has decided to regularise all illegal water connections in the city. The  MC is not receiving any money for thousands  of illegal water connections in colonies and villages.