The ambitious Re.1-a-tap connection scheme for the below poverty line (BPL) and Food Security Card holders, the brainchild of Karimnagar Mayor S. Ravinder Singh, launched last year has now become a model for implementation across the State.
The Cabinet sub-committee headed by Ministers T. Harish Rao, Tummala Nageshwara Rao and Mahender Reddy had submitted a report in this regard to the State government. The recommendation was accepted by Minister for Municipal Administration K. Taraka Rama Rao for its implementation in all municipalities of the State very soon. It was originally launched a year ago on Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's birthday on February 17.
Connection mela
The Karimnagar Mayor had launched the "tap connection mela" to regularise all illegal tap connections in the town and bring those people under the tax fold of the municipality by providing tap connection at the rate of Rs.200 only.
Lukewarm response
For this initiative, there was only lukewarm response and later, the Mayor announced tap connection at Re.1 to all eligible to which there was overwhelming response.
The number of tap connections has crossed 41,000 as against 32,000 connections in 2015. The municipal authorities provided pipes and laid the lines to the houses completing masonry and plumbing works. The beneficiaries were also given the option of giving house plan details on plain paper and the bond paper agreement cost was reduced to Rs.20 against the previous Rs.100. Earlier, household water connection was Rs 6,500 and for the BPL category it was Rs.1,200.
With the launch of Re.1-a-tap connection, more than 7,000 people availed the benefits and are paying a water cess of Rs.100 per month to the Municipal Corporation.
Mayor S. Ravinder Singh said that majority of the illegal tap connections were regularised with the launch of Re.1-a -tap connection in the town. “We spent around Rs.600 for each household on the pipeline and laying costs and provided tap on the house premises,” he said.
Our cash registers have increased over the year with the launch of the scheme.
The beneficiaries are paying water tax regularly; he said and added that they would continue the programme till every house in the town has a legal tap connection.
