Politicians have told PMC to waive water tax
PMC officials said the decision was taken due to relatively lower stock than last year at the same time in dams that supply water to civic areas.
It is imposing a severe financial burden on residents of Pune, who are already grappling with rising inflation,” said Ashwini Kadam, former chairperson of the standing committee. Emphasising that financial relief for citizens would be a welcome gesture, he said, “Such a waiver will send a positive message to struggling residents. “Citizens are forced to spend thousands of rupees out of their own pockets for private water tankers for this basic resource. Nilesh Nikam, leader of the opposition in PMC, has supported the demand. Further, PMC should also take other measures to help citizens deal with the water crisis.
A waiver on water tax is a special measure that would be a policy decision and cannot be taken solely at the administration level, according to one such official. “Approval from the general body and standing committee will be needed before granting such a waiver,” said the senior official from PMC’s tax department.