Mohali:Former Health Minister and senior Congress leader S. Balbir Singh Sidhu raised the issue of alleged illegal water bills being sent to residents of Jujhar Nagar village in the name of water supply, stating that sending bills worth thousands of rupees to people without any legitimate basis is a very serious matter. He said that a basic facility like water cannot be turned into a means of putting an additional financial burden on the people.
Balbir Singh Sidhu stated that more than 500 families in Jujhar Nagar have allegedly been sent water bills ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹8,000, even though these bills were not issued by any government department. He said that the Panchayat and Sarpanch have allegedly constituted a Gram Panchayat and a Water Supply Sanitation Committee at their own level and are sending these bills in the name of recovering old dues. Sidhu stated that the government fee is ₹150 for the general category and ₹75 for the SC category, while the present Panchayat has received the charge for water supply distribution only two months ago. Despite this, thousands of rupees are allegedly being demanded in the name of fees for several previous years. He further alleged that the Sarpanch has appointed his father as the collection in-charge, who is also allegedly collecting an additional 4% tax.
Sidhu further stated that he had also spoken to the concerned XEN regarding the matter. According to him, the XEN clearly stated that the department had neither reported any previous outstanding dues nor issued any such bills. Sidhu said that if no bills have been issued by the government department, then the major question is on what authority and on what basis these bills worth thousands of rupees are being sent to more than 500 families in the village. He added that the previous outstanding balance was already zero.
S. Balbir Singh Sidhu also raised serious questions regarding MLA Kulwant Singh, alleging that a Sarpanch was earlier installed in Jujhar Nagar through pressure and political interference and that the same Sarpanch is now allegedly acting in connivance with the MLA to send illegal water bills to the villagers and financially harass them. He said that this is not merely a matter of bills but a matter of placing a burden on the hard-earned money of the people. If there is no collusion between the MLA and the Panchayat, then who will take responsibility for the thousands of rupees in bills being sent to the residents? Sidhu said that such alleged harassment of the people would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Sidhu also alleged that the water connections of people who have not paid these bills are being disconnected, and that ₹2,500 is being demanded for reconnection while ₹25,000 is allegedly being demanded for new connections. He said that water is a basic necessity of every citizen and this facility should not be used as a means of putting pressure on people or making additional collections.
He said that there is considerable resentment among the residents of Jujhar Nagar over the issue and that if arbitrary decisions are being taken at the Panchayat level instead of addressing people’s complaints, it is a matter of concern for the democratic system.
Sidhu demanded that the Punjab Government and the concerned authorities immediately investigate the alleged illegal bills sent to the residents and, if the collections are found to be contrary to the rules, ensure that the money collected from the people is refunded. He also demanded an investigation into the amounts collected for disconnection and new water connections.
In conclusion, Balbir Singh Sidhu said that the Panchayati system in villages exists to serve the people and not to put a financial burden on them. He said that if the investigation establishes any violation of rules or irregularities by the Sarpanch or any other responsible person, strict action should be taken against them and, if necessary, the Sarpanch should be suspended. He said that the Congress party would stand as the voice of the people of Jujhar Nagar and firmly fight for their rights.