Why should the public bear the burden of BJP’s corruption when the project itself is stalled?
Administration must immediately roll back the ‘unethical’ 5% tariff hike imposed in the name of the 24×7 project.
Chandigarh, April 10, 2026: Vikrant A. Tanwar, State Media In-Charge of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), has strongly opposed the 5% water tariff hike implemented in Chandigarh from April 1, targeting the BJP and the local administration. Calling the increase “administrative loot,” Tanwar alleged that the people of Chandigarh are being exploited through a nexus between BJP leaders and officials.
He stated that the 24×7 water supply project, which is being used as justification for the tariff hike, is actually stalled. The foreign agency AFD (Agence Française de Développement) has already suspended the project due to negligence and six months of inactivity. Tanwar questioned, “When not even an inch of pipeline has been laid and the project remains incomplete, what exactly is the public being charged for? Why should citizens pay for BJP’s corruption?”
He further alleged that while the administration is favouring its “close associates,” BJP is turning a basic necessity like water into a commercial commodity. “In the name of facilities, people are receiving contaminated water, while ‘Smart City’ exists only on paper,” he added.
Tanwar accused the administration and BJP of jointly imposing a 5% financial burden on the middle class and the poor to cover up their corruption.
Reiterating AAP’s key demand, Tanwar said that the party had promised 20,000 litres of free water per household during the municipal elections, but the administration is deliberately obstructing its implementation. He shared data stating that 50,359 households in the city consume less than 20,000 litres per month, and providing free water to them would cost only ₹39.65 lakh per month—an amount negligible compared to the scale of corruption in the system.
He warned that if the increased tariffs are not rolled back immediately and a notification for 20,000 litres of free water is not issued, AAP will launch a public आंदोलन (protest) against this “loot system.”
Tanwar also demanded that the administration release a White Paper on all Smart City projects to ensure transparency and inform citizens about how their money is being utilized.
