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Shimla, August 15
CPI(M) Shimla District Committee has opposed the eight per cent increase in water tariffs by the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Shimla Water Management Corporation, terming it an anti-people decision that would further burden households in the state capital.
CPI(M) Shimla District Committee Secretary Vijendra Mehra, along with Shimla Local Committee Secretary Jagat Ram and Kusumpati Local Committee Secretary Jaishiv Thakur, demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike.
Mehra said residents were already facing the impact of inflation, unemployment, rising property taxes, increased garbage charges and higher prices of essential services. At a time when household budgets were under pressure, raising the tariff of drinking water, an essential service, by eight per cent was unjustified, he said.
He alleged that water tariffs had been increased by around 10 per cent annually in recent years, resulting in a substantial rise in water bills. He further claimed that another six per cent increase was proposed for 2027, which, he said, would mean continued escalation in the burden on consumers.
The CPI(M) leader said workers, employees, small shopkeepers, pensioners, middle-class families and low-income households were particularly affected by repeated increases in utility charges. Instead of continuously increasing tariffs, the authorities should ensure affordable, regular and quality water supply, he said.
Mehra also demanded that the SMC and Shimla Water Management Corporation make public the rationale behind annual tariff revisions and provide a detailed account of the revenue generated through higher tariffs and its utilisation. He said the government should provide financial assistance for essential public services rather than shifting the entire burden onto consumers.
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He warned that if the eight per cent hike was not withdrawn and the proposed six per cent increase in 2027 was scrapped, the CPI(M) would launch a city-wide campaign. The party would organise public meetings, demonstrations and other democratic protests from the ward to city level to mobilise residents against the tariff increases, he added.
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