The biggest defaulter is the Horticulture Division of MC. The department has to pay Rs 2.20 crore to the Public Health Department. MC officials inform that since the Horticulture Department started drawing water from tubewells they do not feel the need for clearing outstanding bills. These bills include that of nurseries in different sectors, leisure valley, Sector 10, etc.
The UT Electricity Department has outstanding arrears of more than Rs 31 lakhs. These arrears are of the Electricity Operation Sub Division and Grid Stations. Interestingly, the department itself has had a perennial problem of bills not being cleared by different institutes. Lists of defaulters have been released time and again by the Electricity Department.
The Punjab Police Department also has a place among the defaulters. There is no one to pay the bills of water that goes to the checkposts and barracks in the city. MC officials inform that either no one accepts the bill that is sent or no one pays up. Around Rs 24 lakhs is pending towards this.
MC officials inform that many a time the institutes move to a new address, but an application for disconnection of water supply is not given. The bill is sent charging flat rate.
The residents of the rehabilitation colonies constitute a majority among the individual defaulters. They are unable to pay bills. At times they have been allowed to pay the amount in installments. However, not all agree to pay.
Mayor Pardeep Chhabra says that the number of defaulters have reduced drastically. “In the past few years we have been able to recover large amounts. Departments like Horticulture are our own departments. Its just a matter of transferring the amount,” he says.