Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday officially launched the scheme to fully waive off the Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) and the penalties on the water bills for the domestic consumers of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
Gupta has said that the scheme for the complete waiver of the penalties and surcharge is valid till January 31 next year.
“The LPSC waiver scheme and the unauthorized connections regularisation Scheme begin today,” Gupta stated.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday at the Delhi secretariat, Gupta said that up to January 31, the LPSC and penalties will be fully waived off, but after that, between February 1 and March 31, the waiver will be 70 per cent.
According to CM, both the schemes will provide big relief for the residents of the national capital, and also make the water management system more citizen-centric and transparent.
Gupta shared that the government has reduced the penalty for unauthorized domestic consumers from Rs 25,000 to just Rs 1,000, and for commercial connections, it has been reduced from Rs 61,000 to Rs 5,000.
This is part of DJB’s efforts and approval of the measures to bring lakhs of unauthorised water connections into the legal fold.
In the non-domestic category, charges cut from approximately Rs 61,000 to Rs 5,000, and the scheme is open till March 31, 2026.
She says that the step will also pave the way for connecting millions of consumers to future plans and an uninterrupted water supply in the city.
The CM said that by reviving and modernising the DJB’s system, with a new technology enabled billing system, the water distribution system in the capital is being made more efficient, accountable, and 34 new divisions are also being formed to boost the system and make it more capable.
She shared that the government is also working on bringing a scheme to appreciate those consumers of the DJB who pay their bills on time, while surcharges and penalties will only be put on those who do not comply.
The CM said that the government would also reduce the penalties or surcharges, which she noted were high at five percent with compounding interest, to two percent.