The water distribution system of Mysore is being revamped under JNNURM project. Under the tripartite agreement signed by Mysore City Corporation, Karnataka Water Supply and Drainage Board and the contractor, Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (JUSCO), new water lines are being laid to every consumer in Mysore.
In J.P.Nagar, where I live, the new pipes are being installed only for a distance of one meter inside one's property and the new water meter being left on the doorstep. There are no written instructions to the public about what to do next. Since the water supply in the old pipeline was turned off, we were forced to run around asking the workers what to do. We were then told that it was our responsibility to get the new meter connected to the new water line as well as the line going into our house.
Needless to say, it is very difficult to get labour for such a small job. Even if labour can be found, the payment demanded is huge. For a work that can not be worth more than Rs. 100-200, workers are demanding ten times as much. Many desperate home owners are paying this huge amount. As the work progresses, the nearly 2 lakh domestic and commercial establishments in Mysore will face the same problem.
But this needless harassment of the public violates several terms of the tripartite agreement. Section 4.4 of Schedule 2 of the contract which defines the obligations of the contractor reads as follows:
The langauge is somewhat convoluted, but it is clear that the contractor has to provide a new line all the way to the customer tap. Asking the customer to get the meter connected to the MCC water line and his own supply line is a violation of the terms of the contract.
The contractor is also seemingly violating Section 4.6 of Schedule 2 which reads:
The contractor company is not retaining good existing meters. Instead, it is replacing all old meters.
It is surprising that Mysore City Corporation is not monitoring the proper implementation of the contract despite several complaints from the public.
G.L.Nagaraj Urs, Mysore Grahakara Parishat
In J.P.Nagar, where I live, the new pipes are being installed only for a distance of one meter inside one's property and the new water meter being left on the doorstep. There are no written instructions to the public about what to do next. Since the water supply in the old pipeline was turned off, we were forced to run around asking the workers what to do. We were then told that it was our responsibility to get the new meter connected to the new water line as well as the line going into our house.
Needless to say, it is very difficult to get labour for such a small job. Even if labour can be found, the payment demanded is huge. For a work that can not be worth more than Rs. 100-200, workers are demanding ten times as much. Many desperate home owners are paying this huge amount. As the work progresses, the nearly 2 lakh domestic and commercial establishments in Mysore will face the same problem.
But this needless harassment of the public violates several terms of the tripartite agreement. Section 4.4 of Schedule 2 of the contract which defines the obligations of the contractor reads as follows:
4.4. To carry on basic plumbing to replace the customer connections with appropriate economical and efficient piping and plumbing matrials from the ferrule to and up to the point of location of meter on the connection and up to the customer tap wherever necessary as directed by the employer.
The langauge is somewhat convoluted, but it is clear that the contractor has to provide a new line all the way to the customer tap. Asking the customer to get the meter connected to the MCC water line and his own supply line is a violation of the terms of the contract.
The contractor is also seemingly violating Section 4.6 of Schedule 2 which reads:
4.6 To retain good existing water meters or replace or install customer meters on all points of customer supply.
The contractor company is not retaining good existing meters. Instead, it is replacing all old meters.
It is surprising that Mysore City Corporation is not monitoring the proper implementation of the contract despite several complaints from the public.
G.L.Nagaraj Urs, Mysore Grahakara Parishat