Sir,
As we recollect, the Delhi government had appointed MNWS, a private company in 2012, as DJB was not able to maintain proper water supply to its citizens. It was Sewer mixed water, irregular water supply, and low pressure were some of the problem often faced/ reported by the consumers especially in summer. The MNWS was awarded the service contract and supplying the proper water in the area. Although the things have improved since then, but at a very high, exorbitant cost to consumers- who are getting their bills in thousands and lakhs instead of tens and hundreds- indirectly putting the heavy financial burden on the public of south Delhi residents in an illegal manner.
We would like to bring to your kind notice the sequence of events in last 4 years, how the public at large has stand cheated. A letter was sent to Chief Minister of Delhi. But no action have been taken as yet. Copy of which is reproduced below
Cheating of consumers by Malviya Nagar Water Supply Company collected and collecting thousands of Crores from consumers (MNWS) illegally.
This letter is coming to you out of our experience with the system, where corruption is over riding the honesty and decency in our government offices, even under the administration of Kejriwal.
As we remember, the Delhi Jal Board was privatised in 2012, and a new company MNWS, was given the charge of supplying water and collection of the taxes/ bills money for the water supplied. The MNWS start cheating the public of the area supplied by (MNWSS) issuing the exorbitant incomplete bills for their water supply right from the beginning of its inception.
We would like to enumerate the sequence wise events where MNWS has collected crores from illegally from the consumers of south Delhi.
1. In the year 2013, the consumer service centre was in Sheikh Sarai. When thousands of customers received bills in thousands and lakhs of rupees instead of two figures and few hundred. They went to get the bill corrected to a normal bill, as it was beyond the capacities of most of the consumers to pay the huge amount. The consumers under duress had to spend huge amount from their pockets for travelling to Sheikh Sarai, and spending hours to wait for their turn to be heard to get settled their abnormally high exorbitant bills corrected. The person in charge was of very irritable nature (may be because of huge rush in his office) and had no power to correct the bill in a judicious manner. In one case for a house of two person, a bill was received for Rs65000/= for two months and duly paid out of desperation under the threat of water disconnection.
2. In many cases where the bill was in few thousands/ lakhs, which in some cases was 1000 times of normal bill. After a lot of hue and cry there bills were reduced to some extent. Even after a discount of 80%, reducing the bill, he had to shell out 20 times the normal bill. Many people paid the bill to continue their water supply instead of fighting their case with the authority, not having enough stamina to fight with MNWS. Water being a basic necessity/ need for everybody, many of the consumers stumbled to the undue pressure of DJB.
3. After a lot of hue and cry by the public, the DJB/ MNWS came with an excuse with a face saving device that the huge billing was as a result of faulty computer system. And it will be adjusted in future bills. But we fail to understand, that why all the bills were only on higher side and none on lower side in some of the cases?
4. There was another catch in maintaining the accounts of the consumer. They were asked to pay the bill first, of few thousand or lakhs of rupees and then contact the consumer service centre by threatening disconnection of water supply. That way, getting the advance up to ten years of their actual supply in many cases. The money paid in excess was never refunded in cash, and was supposed to be adjusted in years to come, collecting indirectly interest free deposit of crores of rupees. Was it judicious/ or indirectly cheating the public?
5. Another practice with the DJB/ MNWS is to issue the bill without proper format showing meter reading etc., charging the bill at their own good will. The DJB/ MNWS will issue the huge bill without mentioning the water meter reading on a small slip of paper printed by a thermal printer (thermal printers print will fade/ disappear after few weeks leaving no proof of the bill issued), and if consumer, approaches for correction (spending precious time and money), he is advised to get the bill printed of their own from their website. And who do not have a computers at home get it from commercial computer centre on a payment. The consumer is at the mercy of MNWS officer sitting on that desk. The excess amount so paid has never been refunded, even after the adjustment (which had hardly done in a legal manner even in future). That also only, if the DJB/ MNWS has been kind enough to correct it to a normal reading. Even after adjustment of the bill the consumer is always at a loss as it was never done in justified manner, as the adjustment was also on inflated basis.
6. The bill issued is intentionally in a manner, which does not explain/ shows the meter readings and real consumption. Only the amount demanded by the DJB/ MNWS is shown on the bills, on that small piece of paper. The amount demanded by the company is always on much higher side in connivance of the government officials (to the best of our knowledge).
7. In the year 2015, the DJB/ MNWSS, had started campaign of replacing the water meter. One of the government order is not to replace the water meter without the consent of the consumer. But the MNWS officials not only put their own meter, but had taken the old meter with them forcibly by threatening the disconnection. In most of the cases the meter has not been returned to consumer which was the property of consumer. No consent of consumer was taken and no last reading of meter taken away and the reading of new meter installed was shown/ verified by the consumers.
8. The new meter installed are faulty to the extent that, they are running faster than normal. When reported the testing is done in consumer house with filling of a basket at a slow rate, and not under normal pressure with at least 5 Kilo Litre of water gushing through meter. These meter are suspected to have been calibrated to run at least 50% extra in almost all the cases as reported by majority of consumers attending various forums.
9. A good number of consumers in Delhi are not paying any Water Tax under socialistic policy, but they are the bulk users, wasting water as it is free. And our politicians are reluctant to force upon them for getting a regular water connection/ or issuing bills for water consumed by them. That way the honest tax payer is paying 10 times of normal bill, and others are getting it free, to waste any amount of water free of charge.
10. By writing this letter we wish to have a SIT to be set up and investigate the working of DJB/ MNWSS, and stop cheating the public at large of south Delhi, and arrange for the refund of excess money charged in last 3-4 years like Sahara housing case with due interest.
Through this letter, I wish you to take appropriate action against MNWS to stop cheating the public and arrange for the refund of excess money charged by the MNWS in last three years by cash with due interest.
The MNWS should also issue proper bills, so that consumer can verify the correct ness of the bill before making the payment and not a random amount demanded illogical manner.
I hope your good offices will act swiftly in the interest of the general public of south Delhi, who continue to be cheated regularly by MNWSS, providing justice to consumers.
Thank you and awaiting the swift action in the matter.
We the Victims of DJB? MNWS more