Lucknow: A key meeting between leading trade representatives and city officials was held at the Municipal Corporation office in Lucknow, where issues related to alleged irregular water billing and departmental corruption were strongly raised.
The meeting was led by Sandeep Bansal, National President of the Akhil Bharatiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal and former minister in the Uttar Pradesh government. He was joined by prominent trade leaders, who interacted with Mayor Sushma Kharkwal and Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar.
Bansal highlighted the issue of exorbitant water bills being issued even to establishments without functional water connections, calling it a form of harassment of traders and the business community. He demanded immediate cancellation of such bills and urged authorities to curb corruption within the department.
Presenting a comparative analysis, Bansal stated that in most states, water charges are based on actual consumption, which ensures transparency and fairness. In contrast, he said, the billing process in Uttar Pradesh remains complex, leading to arbitrary charges that are difficult for traders and common citizens to pay. He stressed that no coercive measures should be taken against those unable to pay such disputed bills.
He further informed that the matter has already been raised with Suresh Khanna, Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Rajnath Singh, Member of Parliament from Lucknow.
Responding to the concerns, Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar assured that strict action would be taken to prevent corruption within the department and that no official or worker would be allowed to exert undue pressure on traders. He also indicated that the issue would be taken up with the state government, including the Chief Minister, to provide relief to the business and trade sector.
Prominent attendees at the meeting included Suresh Chhablani (President, Lucknow Metropolitan Unit), Javed Beg (State Organisation Minister), Anuj Gautam (General Secretary), Mukesh Agarwal (Vice President), and Ashwin Arora (In-charge, Lalbagh region), among others.
The meeting concluded with assurances of further dialogue and corrective measures to address traders’ grievances.
