The Shimla Municipal Corporation achieved a major breakthrough when it traced eight domestic water connections being used allegedly unlawfully by a local resort situated on the Mall road in the town beginning proceeding to slap the highest ever penalty to the tune of Rs 2.63 Crore.
When the town had been facing acute water crisis in the past and now the water supply was obtained from domestic connections. The Mayor of Shimla MC Mr. Sanjay Chauhan said that the hotel was built in last decades of nineties and it came to operations in the month of September 2003. We are about to give notice to the violator to recover the penalty in between September 2003 to Mar 31 20015 to the tune of Rs 2.63 Cr and another installment of one year subsequently.
He did not denied action to be taken against the officers of Water Department of MC and others as alleged scam could not have been taken place without the accomplice of official staff.
The proceeding of plugging of water connections is to be taken subsequently if hotel owners did not submit the penalties or continue taking on the illegal pattern. He said that hotel unit situated on the mall having hundred percent occupancy around the year caused massive loss to the MC Exchequer by not disclosing the alleged scam.
The hotel unit was reportedly built up under the high profile political influence. however keeping the shortage of water, incurring of heavy cost to procure the drinking water and beside massive recovery of water by the state IPH department from MC Shimla the action could not be averted and taken lightly.
MC was also contemplating to institutes internal SIT of MC under Assistant Commissioner Mr. Prashant Sarkaik to further probe in matter. Mr. Chauhan said that MC commissioner in particular and MC staff in general have taken the issue to the logical conclusion as elected representatives (Mayor or Deputy Mayor) have many option open to bring the defaulter to book.
He said that more than 50 connections have been disconnected for wasting of drinking water and for pilferage. He said that many big fishes have been caught who were misusing the domestic water and obtained illegal water connections in the town.
