The unearthing of a big scam in water supply charges led to the brutal assault of 20-year old Neel Shah at Tilaknagar, Chembur on Friday night
The unearthing of a big scam in water supply charges led to the brutal assault of 20-year old Neel Shah at Tilaknagar, Chembur on Friday night. Shah was beaten up black and blue, allegedly by Sandeep (38) and Sameer Dattatray Salvi (35). Both are absconding, according to the police.
ADVERTISEMENT
This scam came to light when Shah started enquiring into a water bill of Rs 15,000, which came out of the blue.
His family, comprising of a brother and mother, was one of the 80 tenants of Chembur-Mayur Co-Op HSG, Tilaknagar, which received similar bills. Their building (no: 123) had undergone redevelopment recently.
A letter sent by the society's managing committee comprising Sharad Deshpande, N N Parab, N R Suresh Landge, Salian and S S Jagdale indicated that the society had consumed 58,50,000 litres of water and there was no clarification whether it was a monthly or yearly consumption. This meant that each tenant was consuming about 2,437 litres daily! No proofs of consumption or bills were sent along with the letter.
According to a BMC official that Neel Shah had talked to, this scam of inflated water bills is widespread, especially when buildings get redeveloped in MHADA areas.
What has happened here is very clear. The cost of water, a key factor in redeveloping buildings, is high. What the builder often does is use the society's water supplies in connivance with the managing committee to avoid the water tanker expenses. According to BMC estimates, a building needs two tankers of 12,000 kilolitres per day for construction activities.
At Chembur-Mayur CHS, construction work began in 2000 and ended at 2004. And the water bills were presented to the tenants on 31/12/08! At a conservative estimate of tankers (at Rs 800 each) a month, the builder has to fork over Rs 32,000 per month. And for three years that the builder Deepak Gala of Supreme Housing took to redevelop the society, the water bill, at a very conservative estimate, crossed Rs.11.50 lakh.
This palming off of water consumption charges by a builder-managing committee nexus is taking place in almost every building being redeveloped in Tilaknagar and Chembur in particular, and the suburbs in general. The tenants are caught unawares as the water consumption charges are presented years after the builder has finished his work and left the premises.
Significantly, one cannot rule out a nexus between the BMC-MHADA-builder. Why do these authorities present inflated bills after a gap of three to four years? In the case of Chembur-Mayur CHS, normal water charges were levied and collected till 2004. The inflated bills have come at the end of 2008.
Neel Shah asked for an external audit, so that poor tenants need not pay inflated water charges. He was instead beaten up mercilessly.
"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels 
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
