3 Ludhiana MC men ‘caught’ charging extra fee

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 11

Three Municipal Corporation employees were allegedly caught fleecing residents by charging extra fee in the name of regularising the unauthorised water supply and sewer connections in the Ram Nagar area on Chandigarh Road, Ludhiana.

The employees have been accused of charging more money than mentioned on the receipts issued to some residents in the area.

Videos go viral

• A video has also gone viral in which one of the three employees is tendering an apology while talking to somebody on mobile phone.
• In another viral video, a woman resident alleged that she was charged Rs800 but receipts of a total of Rs200 were issued for water supply and sewerage connections.

A video has also gone viral in which one of the three employees is tendering an apology while talking to somebody on mobile phone. In another viral video, a woman resident alleged that she was charged Rs 800 but receipts of a total of Rs 200 were issued for water supply and sewerage connections.

The state government had earlier issued a notification offering a one-time settlement policy for the regularisation of unauthorised connections of water supply and sewerage. On Tuesday, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu and MC Commissioner Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal had ordered the O&M branch officials to intensify the campaign in various wards for regularisation of unauthorised water supply and sewerage connections.

An officer of the MC said these three employees were deployed for the campaign to regularise the illegal connections. The officer said the residents alleged that these three employees charged more amount than mentioned on the receipts issued to them. These employees had allegedly managed to collect extra money from some residents but one aware resident raised questions when they allegedly demanded more money than the amount mentioned on the receipt as per the information. The area residents then gathered and also informed the ward councillor.

Executive Engineer, MC, Ranbir Singh said the matter has come to their notice and a report against these employees would be submitted to the higher authorities for further action.