The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mahbubur Rahman Khan

The bill collectors of Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) are trapping consumers in the capital by meter tampering and in the process making huge amount of money.

In connivance with some insincere officials of WASA they present inflated water bills to the consumers, especially before Eid festivals.

"A bill collector came and wanted to know if there was any water meter in the house. After inspecting the meter he came up with a lame excuse that the meter runs slowly," a sufferer of Mirhajirbagh told the New Nation yesterday.

When asked for a remedy. The man suggested a long procedure and of course involving a huge amount of money to be paid in easy installments.

"Seeing my concern writ large on my forehead he proposed an easy way out, though illegal. He asked me to give him Tk 400 per month for reducing the bill to what he called a tolerable level," the man confided to this correspondent.

The amount was fixed at Tk 200 per month after a protracted negotiation, a sufferer, the consumer said.

It was reliably learnt that there are hundreds of metered water connections where the consumers receive non-meter bills every month.

In case of meter connection with supply line the meter remains hidden, so whenever the WASA officials increase the bill it becomes difficult for the consumer to check it out. "Therefore, we easily surrender to the illegal payment system," said Serajul Haque Khan another victim of bill collector's trap.

The people who do not have meter pay 37 per cent of annual holding tax in monthly installments. Consumers with ineffective meters pay an average of last three months of meter read bills.

Sufferers opine that the complex and cumbersome system of paying bills give these dishonest staff and officials opportunity to manipulate with the billing system.

"Being tired of these illegal employees' activities and unaware of a way out of this WASA trap we succumb to pay bribes," a schoolteacher in the city said.

When New Nation contacted WASA officials on the matter, an official seeking anonymity said, "No one lodges complaints with us in this regard."

There are 2, 54,276 consumers of WASA supply line, out of which 73,359 do not have meters.

The official further said that there is help desks in every office of WASA where the consumers can submit complaints. He asserted that if anyone was found guilty action would be taken against him.