Maharashtra CMO responds after Devendra Fadnavis' 'Varsha' bungalow named in BMC's defaulter list for unpaid water bill of over Rs 7 lakh. Read here

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday declared Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's bungalow 'Varsha' as defaulter over a pending water bill. 

As per reports, the Chief Minister's official residence 'Varsha' has been named as a defaulter for the pending water bill amount of Rs 7,44,981. The bungalow is located in Mumbai Malabar Hill area. The development surfaced after an RTI query was filed by activist Shakeel Ahmed Shaikh.

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However, the Maha Chief Minister's office released a statement giving a clarification on the bill, saying that the water bill had been paid. Taking to Twitter, the Maharashtra CMO posted the statement:

The CMO further asserted that the bungalows alloted are government properties and hence the Public Works Department (PWD) will clear the dues:

" All water bills of Varsha & other ministers bungalow have been paid in November 2018. There was a difference between the water bills of Nov 2018 & bills of May 2019 & that's why PWD is verifying the bill amount of may 2019. As the verification process will be over, PWD will pay the bill. Varsha Bungalow and other bungalows of the ministers are government properties and PWD department clears the bill for water & electricity of these bungalows," read the statement in Marathi.

PWD in coordination with BMC always clears the bills, it further added. The CMO also clarified that the water and electricity consumption charges are billed on the bungalows name and not one particular person's name. 

Apart from Fadnavis, names of other ministers who are on the list include Sudhir Mungatiwar, Vinod Tawde, Pankaja Munde, Ramdas Kadam and Eknath Shinde. These ministers are yet to clear their water bill dues. Apparently, the bills are overdue since 2001. Even so, the BMC has not taken any action against the ministers for unpaid water bills.  

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(With agency inputs)