Spl teams to recover water, sewerage dues from commercial companies

The Municipal Corporation, Amritsar, is set to intensify its crackdown on illegal water and sewerage connections and expedite recovery from defaulters. In a meeting held today under the directions of MC Commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh, Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh reviewed the recovery targets and pending dues of the Water and Sewerage Department.

As per the department’s figures, a recovery target of Rs 16 crore has been set for the financial year 2025-26, while outstanding dues stand at Rs 29 crore. So far, only Rs 3.05 crore has been recovered. To improve performance, Additional Commissioner Surinder Singh allocated daily recovery targets to zonal officers and directed stringent follow-up.

During the meeting, it was highlighted that several shops, hotels and major commercial or industrial units either have unregularised or illegal connections or have failed to clear their dues. Notices are being issued to such institutions, and failure to respond within the stipulated time may lead to disconnection of services or other legal action.

Surinder Singh emphasised the formation of special inspection and recovery teams that would visit different areas to detect illegal water and sewerage connections and ensure that the dues were collected. He warned that if any staff member, especially those posted in the same zones for long periods, was found complicit in recovery of dues or shielding defaulters, disciplinary action would be initiated against them.

The Additional Commissioner instructed officers to ensure recovery from commercial and industrial units within the next 10 days, and said that any delay or negligence would not be tolerated. “Targets must be met under all circumstances,” he stressed.

Present in the meeting were Assistant Commissioner (water rates in charge) Daljit Singh, Executive Engineers Bhalinder Singh, Manjeet Singh, Gurjinder Singh and Swarajinderpal Singh, CFO Jatinder Vasal, Superintendent Satnam Singh and all zonal SDOs, JEs and recovery clerks.

Amritsar