AAP continues protest over one-time settlement scheme in Delhi

AAP MLAs protest at Delhi assembly.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs on Friday continued their protest in the Delhi assembly over the non-implementation of the one-time settlement scheme for unpaid water bills and urged the people of Delhi not to pay their water bills.

AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar said he has come across many people who received inflated bills and the scheme should be implemented to provide relief to such consumers.

“For the last 18 months, people have registered objections to the inflated bills. A person who has lived in a 22-yard house has received a water bill of ₹6 lakh… even if he sold the house, he would not be able to settle the bill. Many bills range from ₹50,000 to ₹1,00,000. The Delhi assembly wants to implement the scheme, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal wants to implement the scheme… then why is the scheme not being implemented?” said Kumar. The Kondli MLA later tore up water bills in the assembly and said they would continue to protest if the scheme is not implemented.

Last week, the Delhi government announced the scheme to allow residents to clear pending water bills after paying substantially reduced amounts recalculated based on usage patterns. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has 2.7 million consumers of which 1.6 million have not paid their dues after receiving inflated bills.

AAP Bawana MLA Jai Bhagwan said many people were approaching his office demanding the waiver of their inflated bills. “During Covid-19 erratic bills were sent to the people which people did not pay. The scheme has been stopped by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)… people are suffering,” said Bhagwan.

AAP MLAs walked into the Well of the House carrying placards and raised slogans against the non-implementation of the scheme. They did not resume their seats despite repeated appeals by Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.

Meanwhile, the leader of the Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said people received inflated water bills due to faults on the part of the Arvind Kejriwal government.

“The Arvind Kejriwal government is playing dirty politics over the one-time settlement. The inflated bills are a result of problems created by the Kejriwal government’s installation of air-flow water meters. During Covid, they sent inflated bills to consumers and now when the election is closer, the AAP government is doing drama. AAP MLAs have paralysed the Assembly during the budget session. Every day they come into the Well of the House and create a ruckus. All this is being done as part of a planned conspiracy to save CM Arvind Kejriwal from the ED inquiry,” said Bidhuri.

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