HARIPUR, June 8: The Tehsil Municipal Administration, Haripur, has decided to increase water rates.

The new rates would be effective in the urban UCs of Khalabat, Tarbela, Haripur South, Haripur North and Haripur Central, from the next month with an almost 100 per cent increase in old rates.

However, political and religious circles and traders' organziations have threatened to take to the streets and observe strike if the proposed plan is not scrapped by June 23.

Rejecting the TMA's plan, they termed it a conspiracy to burden the people further by the Tehsil nazim. According to the new schedule, the rates of water supplied from tube-wells of the TMA to consumers of the five union councils would be Rs120 as against the existing rate of Rs60 per month for domestic consumer.

The commercial consumers category of cold storage would be required to pay Rs600 against the previous rate of Rs300, Hotel A class Rs400 against Rs200, class B hotel Rs200 against Rs100, barber's shop with three bathrooms Rs200 against Rs125, barber's shop with two bathrooms Rs150 against the existing rate of Rs75, shop Rs200 against Rs 100, service stations Rs200 against Rs100, connection fee Rs1000 against Rs600, shifting of connection from one line to other Rs200 from Rs75 and change of name of consumer Rs200 from Rs113.

According to the notification which was also published in local dailies, the TMA sought objections from the people up to June 14, while June 23 was fixed for final approval. The objections, as per advertisement, would be referred to sub committees of all five urban UCs that would, after vetting, refer the matter to the TMA for its implementation.

In a related development an all parties' conference was held under the aegis of district chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami on Monday evening and all participants rejected the increase in water charges.

They warned the TMA that if proposed increase was not scrapped by June 23, all political, religious parties and traders would observe a strike and take out protest processions in the city.

The APC meeting was attended by ulema, representatives of traders' bodies, Haripur chamber of Commerce, councillors, naib nazims and others. When contacted, Tehsil nazim Iftekhar Ahmad Khan said that the TMA had proposed the increase in water charges because it wanted to ensure supply of clean drinking water to the citizens.

He said the an Asian Development Bank-funded multi-million sewerage and water supply project was about to be executed in all five UCs of the Haripur for which the TMA would contribute 20 per cent while rest of 80 per cent expenses would be borne by the donor agency.