New Delhi, October 14: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Late Payment Surcharge Waiver Scheme (LPWS) and Unauthorized Connection Regularization Scheme (UCRS) for domestic water consumers on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister stated that if people pay their old water bills by January 31st next year, they will receive a 100 percent rebate on late payment charges. Additionally, substantial rebates are also being offered on penalties for illegal connections. The Chief Minister stated that approximately โน11,000 crore in surcharges will be waived under this government scheme.
Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh stated that this is a Diwali gift to the people of Delhi. We have taken this step in the public interest. Our government wants to improve and make the functioning of the Water Board more effective.
In a press conference today, the Chief Minister and Water Minister provided detailed information about this government scheme.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that no consumer should be deprived of drinking water due to past dues or technical glitches. She explained that water consumption bills are based on a two-month period, and if consumers fail to pay this fee on time, a late payment surcharge is levied, which increases at a compound interest rate. This subsequently causes inconvenience to consumers, and their connections are often disconnected. Keeping this problem in mind, the Late Payment Surcharge Waiver Scheme has been implemented.
She added that under this scheme, if consumers pay their pending bills by January 31, 2026, their late payment surcharge will be waived by 100%. This payment can be made in one lump sum or in installments. The scheme’s benefits will be available only if the principal amount has been paid in full. After that, a 70% late payment surcharge waiver will be provided under the scheme from February 1, 2026, to March 31, 2026.
The Chief Minister stated that if all consumers take advantage of this scheme, approximately โน11,000 crore in late payment surcharges will be waived. He clarified that this is a limited-period scheme designed to encourage timely bill payment.
Chief Minister further elaborated on the second scheme, stating that it is for consumers who have unauthorized water or sewer connections. This Unauthorized Water and Sewer Connection Regularization Scheme will remain in effect until January 31, 2026. Under this scheme, significant reductions have been made in penalties for unauthorized connections. Regularization of domestic connections will require a token penalty of only โน1,000 instead of approximately โน25,000, while non-domestic connections will require only โน5,000 instead of โน61,000.
Chief Minister stated that a large number of households in Delhi are using water or sewer connections without permission due to lack of awareness or inability to pay regularization fees. The exemption under this scheme will only apply to the penalty amount, while general water and sewer connection fees and infrastructure charges will have to be paid as per the rules. He stated that this will be the last such scheme, and if a consumer fails to regularize their connection after this, their connection will be disconnected.
Chief Minister stated that before implementing the Late Payment Surcharge Scheme, the Delhi Jal Board has addressed all technical issues. During the previous government’s tenure, the licensing and maintenance of the Revenue Management System software was severely affected, leading to a disruption in the billing system and the inability to add new consumers. Due to the efforts of the Delhi Jal Board, the system is now functioning smoothly and new consumers are being added. In addition to streamlining the software system, the Jal Board’s regional revenue offices have also been reorganized. Now, one regional revenue office has been established for every two assembly constituencies. To strengthen billing and revenue operations, appointments have been made through deputation to the positions of Deputy Director and Joint Director, and they have been given responsibility for different areas.