Civic body elections on mind, AAP plays free water card in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 1

Ahead of the MC poll in the city, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today reiterated its promise of providing 20,000 litres of clean and free water per household per month.

Addressing a press conference here, Chandigarh in-charge Jarnail Singh said “The city is receiving a supply of 114 MGD of water. According to the BJP, the per-head water consumption is 245 litres, which is high. If we talk about the water consumption in India, it is 135 litres per head. If we assume a consumption of 245 litres per head, the city still has surplus water.”

AAP leaders asked the BJP that if the city had more water than what was required, why was the government charging three times the cost and where was the surplus water going from the city? This is a matter of concern and an inquiry should be conducted by the department.

Residents were promised 24-hour water supply at low cost, but, the BJP has been unable to deliver on its promises, they added. City AAP convener Prem Garg said, “We will ensure that all ongoing arrangements are reviewed. Even the loan agreement will be reviewed. If there is something that the public has to pay, we will make such an arrangemnet that the MC pays it. This will be made possible by reducing unnecessary expenditures in providing and maintaining the water supply.”

Party leaders claimed that Chandigarh, under a membership campaign being run under the name of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, had added one lakh people to the party in just 25 days.

Jarnail Singh said people were fed up with the “false promises and anti-people policies” of the BJP and the Congress.