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The Aam Aadmi Party government yesterday lived up to its poll promise of free water supply to Delhi residents, as it announced 20 kilo litres of free water per month (approximately 667 litres per day) for households having metered water connection. |
However, those consuming more will be required to pay the full bill amount according to the water tariff, which has been increased by 10%, an official statement said.
This will come into effect tomorrow.
The decision was taken after a meeting held at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence in Ghaziabad attended by 18 members of the Delhi Jal Board.
Earlier, Jal Board member Sandeep Tanwar said the government would supply 700 litres of water to those households which have regular water connection.
The cost of providing the free water would be borne by the DJB for the first three months.
The promise of 700 litres of free water per day to every Delhi household was made in the AAP manifesto for the Delhi assembly polls.
However, in the final calculations yesterday, the ruling party and the water board officials arrived at the figure of 667 litres per day or 20 kilo litres a month.
The AAP chief swept to power last month on a promise of greater transparency and he began office yesterday true to his word - admitting that Delhi belly had spoiled his first day.
Kejriwal had been set to start governing the capital yesterday after being sworn in as chief minister over the weekend.
But after weeks of rallies in a gruelling election campaign that pitted him against the two main political parties, Kejriwal said he had fallen ill with diarrhoea and a severe fever and could not come into the office.
“Running 102 fever since yesterday. Severe loose motions. Sad that I won’t be able to attend office today,” the former tax official tweeted on his verified Twitter account.
“It was so imp to attend office today. We had planned the water announcement. God, bahut galat time par bimaar kiya (you’ve had me sick at a very wrong time.)”
He has more than 961,000 followers on Twitter and regularly tweets to share his views.
His latest comments were an instant hit on Twitter, with plenty of offers of sympathy - but also some suggestions for a little privacy.
“When the Chief Minister gives you minute by minute update on his bowel movements...Hail democracy,” said a Congress Party spokeswoman Priyanka Chaturvedi.
“Will Arvind Kejriwal pass the motion? That is the question we are asking tonight,” said television editor Ritupana Chatterjee.
“Wow ur such a wonderful Aam Aadmi CM. talking publicly about loose motions. History is made!” said social worker Suryanarayan Ganesh.
Kejriwal’s party also asked well-wishers and supporters in a tweet to stop flocking to his home, saying he needed to rest.
Senior party leader Kumar Vishwas said Kejriwal was “very ill” and doctors had to put him on intravenous glucose.
However, the Delhi chief minister was in constant touch with officials throughout the day, Vishwas added.
Supporters and common people started trooping outside the chief minister’s private residence at Kaushambi here since early morning with various demands.
The crowd included a group opposed to granting reservation quota to Other Backward Classes (OBC) to the Jat community, and employees of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and home guard who were demanding permanent jobs.
The group protesting OBC reservation also burnt effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi.
AAP volunteers placed a help desk outside Kejriwal’s apartment block and started noting down the various demands. The volunteers assured the people that their applications will be forwarded to the chief minister.