Wasa to collect raised water tariffs
The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) to collect the hiked price of water it had fixed earlier.
The apex court yesterday stayed a High Court order for 16 weeks that issued injunction till August 10 on the Dhaka Wasa's decision of hiking the water tariff to 25 percent since April 1 this year.
Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Md Nuruzzaman passed the order following a petition filed by Dhaka Wasa seeking stay on the HC order of injunction.
Following a writ petition, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim on June 22 issued injunction till August 10 on the Dhaka Wasa decision of increasing the water tariff.
Writ petitioner Advocate Tanvir Ahmed told The Daily Star yesterday that there was no legal bar for the Dhaka Wasa to collect the hiked water tariff following the SC stay order.
He, however, did not say the reasons for which the apex court stayed the HC order of injunction.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alarm appeared for the Dhaka Wasa while Barrister Aneek R Haque represented the writ petitioner.
On June 15, Tanvir Ahmed filed the writ petition with the High Court seeking its order of injunction on the Dhaka Wasa decision of hiking the water price to 25 percent since April 1 this year.
He submitted the petition as a public interest litigation to the High Court through virtual system also praying to the court to declare the Dhaka Wasa's move to increase the 25 percent water price.
Citing the petition, Tanvir Ahmed told The Daily Star that the Dhaka Wasa had increased 5 percent water price on September 1 last year.
It has further increased the water price to 25 percent since April 1 this year which has been reported in different newspapers including The Daily Star, he said.
Advocate Tanvir said the most of the countrymen are now facing serious financial crisis and amid this situation hiking 25 percent water tariff is not only illegal but also a heartless activity.
The Dhaka Wasa can increase only 5 percent water tariff in consultation with the government as per section 22 of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Act, 1996, the writ petitioner added.
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