The Hindu 10.11.2010
State privatising water supply in 16 cities: activists
Staff Reporter
Bangalore: Is the State Government planning to privatise water supply in 16 cities across the State? This is the question that is bothering some like-minded activists, who had launched a campaign against water privatisation in the city a few years ago.
“We have recently come across a secret agreement between the Government of Karnataka and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL and FS) to prepare ground for water privatisation in 16 cities across Karnataka by doing a feasibility study in these cities,” said Kshitij Urs, an activist. “After water services in Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Mysore were undemocratically handed over to private companies, the present privatisation strategy encompasses the whole of the State. This came to light during the review of a government order in State gazette mandating an exclusion of the agreement with IL and FS from the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act. However, the agreement itself does not find a mention in the gazette,” he explained.
Referring to the same project, K.V. Raju, Financial adviser to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, said at seminar organised by the Task Force on Quality Assurance in Public Constructions in Bangalore on Monday said that the project was aimed at plugging water leakage and providing round-the-clock water supply.
He said that a pilot project has already been implemented in Belgaum, Gulbarga and Hubli-Dharwad, where all connections are metered and consumers pay user charges. Pointing out that the project would be implemented in 16 other citiesin the State, Mr. Raju said that Bijapur and Chitradurga would soon get surface-based drinking water supply system.
Chairperson of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB ) P.B. Ramamurthy categorically ruled out privatisation of water supply in Bangalore.
M Kshitij Urs and other activists have organised a meeting on Wednesday to discuss this issue at SCM House on Mission Road in Bangalore.
