Residents lay siege to house of Chandigarh Mayor over water bills

Chandigarh, November 13

Local residents and Congress workers today laid siege to the Mani Majra residence of city Mayor Sarbjit Kaur over the issue of hefty water bills.

A heavy police contingent was called to secure the house amid the continuing protests. The Mayor later came out and met the protesters.

The Congress leaders said the residents relented only on the assurance that the people of Mani Majra need not pay the garbage collection charges with the current bill and the issue of the water bills would be sorted out during a House meeting on November 29.

Some residents have got bills for more than Rs 10,000. The residents of Mani Majra had earlier protested two days ago by blocking the roads. They had lifted the blockade on the assurance that the bills would be reduced within a day or so. But nothing was done thereafter.

Today’s protest was led by local councillor Darshna Devi, former Mayors Gurcharan Das Kala and Surinder Singh, District Congress president Surjit Singh Dhillon, Block Congress presidents Sanjeev Gaba and Matloob Khan and other Congress leaders.

Pawan Kumar Bansal, treasurer, All-India Congress Committee, in a statement issued here expressed solidarity with the residents and urged the authorities to defer the entire payment of the bills till the matter was sorted out at the House meeting.

HS Lucky, president of the city Congress, said if the MC did not reduce the bills, the party would be forced to intensify the agitation.