'NDMC paying water, electricity bills for property it hasn't used in decades'

New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is still paying electricity and water bills for a property that it ended partnership with more than a decade ago, using up funds that could be better utilised elsewhere, the NDMC Employees' Union has said.

Union President Sudhaker Kumar wrote a letter to the Director (Welfare) on Thursday stating that NDMC had rented a property at House No. 1, Doctor Lane from the Arya Samaj in 1981, where an orphanage was being run in collaboration with an NGO called Udayan SOS. However, in 1998 this was found to be in violation of NDMC rules and the partnership was ended and the NGO was ordered to shift base from that address. In 2003, another resolution was passed ordering the NGO to vacate the premises, but to no avail.

Kumar said, "I find it quite surprising that NDMC has been unable to get an illegally-occupied premise vacated since the past 22 years. Moreover, it is still paying the electricity and water bill for the premises, which has resulted in losses running into crores. Therefore, the workers' union requests that first, the electricity and water connection be cut, and then the process for getting the premises vacated be initiated."

According to the water and electricity bills issued to the NDMC for this address for January 2021, the civic body has been charged Rs 3,10,839 for water and Rs 1,92,919 for electricity.

When asked for a response, a senior NDMC official said that no one except the Director (Welfare) or Director (Education) could issue any clarifications. However, neither were available for comment despite repeated attempts.