Govt extends water bill surcharge waiver scheme till August 15

New Delhi: Buoyed by an overwhelming public response to its water bill reform initiative, the Delhi government has extended the Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) Waiver Scheme till August 15, offering continued relief to consumers struggling with long-pending dues. The decision comes after more than 3.3 lakh consumers availed the scheme, leading to the waiver of nearly Rs 1,500 crore in penal interest and collection of over Rs 430 crore in principal dues.

Announcing the extension, Public Works Department and Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma said the response reflected citizens’ faith in transparent and fair governance. “The people of Delhi want to pay their water bills. What they want is honesty, transparency and correct billing. This massive response to the LPSC Waiver Scheme proves that Delhi’s citizens are responsible and ready to cooperate when the system is fair,” he said.

According to Delhi Jal Board data, 3,30,908 consumers have already joined the scheme, with Rs.430.26 crore collected in principal dues and Rs.1,493.70 crore waived as LPSC. The government termed the initiative the biggest corrective step in Delhi’s water billing history.

“For years, citizens were trapped under massive interest burdens created by faulty systems. We have broken that cycle. This scheme is not about waivers, it is about correcting injustice,” the minister said.

Officials noted that the current scheme has significantly outperformed the previous LPSC waiver between October 2022 and March 2023, when only Rs.235 crore in principal was collected. “This clearly shows that when governance is clean and intentions are honest, people come forward. Delhi is witnessing a financial turnaround in the water sector,” Verma said. The extension till August 15 was granted following requests from MLAs, Resident Welfare Associations and consumers, and in view of legacy billing errors and administrative delays. “The previous system created fear through inflated and faulty bills. We are fixing that broken structure. But reform takes time and citizens deserve breathing space,” the minister said. The government also signalled stricter action against non-domestic defaulters, including government offices and private establishments, with over Rs.2,068 crore in pending principal dues. “Reforms will not stop with domestic consumers… Public money cannot be allowed to remain blocked because of administrative negligence,” Verma said, adding that Delhi was moving towards a “responsibility culture” in public finance.