Tax payers demand withdrawal of water meters proposal

Vijayawada: Tax Payers Association has demanded the Government to withdraw the proposals being made to fix the water meters to the drinking water tap connections in the houses. The Tax Payers Association president, V Sambireddy, and secretary M V Anjaneyulu, talking to newsmen here on Tuesday said the Government was already increasing seven per cent tax on water charges and now considering to install meters to the drinking water taps in the houses.

They said the Telugu Desam leaders have opposed the same idea three years ago when Congress Government had proposed to install the water meters to the taps. They said the people were already suffering from the increasing house rents, power tariff and they could not bear the burden of water charges if the meters are fixed to the drinking water taps.

They recalled that the JNNURM became a big burden to the denizens of Vijayawada for 10 years and now AMRUT scheme launched by NDA government would become another burden as it contains many disadvantages to the people living in urban areas.

They said the State government was planning to implement AMRUT in all municipalities and municipal corporations of Andhra Pradesh and exploit the people by fixing water meters. They said the water charges had already increased in Vijayawada city during the special officer’s rule in 2014 and asked the Government to withdraw the decision immediately.