In a letter to municipal commissioner Girish Gokhale, Shetty stated that the concerned staff had failed to follow his instructions regarding the need to amend the rules for alloting giving water connections. Although the instructions were given at the very first meeting with the water supply department itself, Shetty said he has received no response from the officials. However, Shetty said he has not spoken to Mayor Nandu Satam in this regard. Shetty stated in the letter: ``I cannot understand what would be the use of the MiC if such minor issues are kept pending and concerned officials do not act upon them.'' His party has appointed him to get works of the smallestnature executed and not merely to award tenders to contractors, stated Shetty. Shetty's decision could put the brakes on several public works. However, while admitting that projects and works for which budgetary provisions have been made will suffer, Shetty stated that he had no option.

A sizeable number of old buildings in Mumbai have no water connections, he pointed out. ``I had sent some of the cases to the officials, but no decision has been taken on them as yet,'' he said. Some of the buildings which had earlier not been provided water connections for violating Floor Space Index (FSI) could now be supplied water due to relaxations in FSI regulations, said Shetty. Brandishing a letter, Shetty said in some cases, the officials have not provided water for commercial use to one Shabir Sheikh since 1980, though Sheikh was reportedly ready to pay the commercial rate, which was 16 times normal rate.

Only water supply to everybody will put a halt to water pilferage through pipes, stated Shetty. The BMCshould provide a water connection even to a group of five persons despite present rules stating that new connections can be granted to a group of not less than 15 persons, added Shetty.