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BMC sends bills after 18 years, says manually pending bills updated now in system

BMC does a Rip Van Winkle, sends bills from year 2000 to several water consumers in city

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At a time when city residents are facing water shortage, and are under the apprehensive of possible water cut, the Hydraulic Engineering department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has sent 18-years-old water bills to many consumers. Now, the residents are baffled whether the bill was unpaid or any other adjustment made by the water department.

The civic body has sent bill with a letter asking consumers to pay the bill within 15 days or face water connection cut. The bill was of October 2000. Some of the pending bill is under Rs 1,000 while some have received over Rs 5,000 bills.

"I surprised to see the bill amount when I received in last week of October," said Pratibha Surve, a resident of Goregaon west. She added that she bought the home in 2005, and now the civic body is asking to pay bill of year 2000. Like her, many residents are shocked the bill.

Sandeep Patel, BJP corporator from Goregaon asked why the civic body is sending such an old bill. "Why did the civic body too 18 years to send the pending bills," said Patel. He added that he would raise the matter in the general body of BMC.

According to the Hydraulic Engineering department of BMC, before the year 2000, the water bill was managed manually. In 2000, the civic body started using computer generated bill and thus old pending bill could not be updated then. "We have just updated all old bills that were not paid despite reminders," said a senior official from the Hydraulic Engineering department. He added that now, consumers did not pay bill before the year 2000 are getting the old bill. The official also claimed that during these years, the civic body had sent a reminder to those consumers. However, residents refused the claim. Even many residents declined to have not paid old bills

After complaints mounting, the department has sought suggestion from the Law department.

According to official, around Rs 194 crore are pending of bill before year 2000.

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