A bill kept in the meter box at Jetty area.
VASCO
Residents of Jetty-Rumdawada in Sada-Vasco are reportedly facing hardships due to the alleged refusal of a water meter reader from the PWD Water Supply Department to deliver water bills at the doorsteps of cponsumers.
According to residents, the meter reader allegedly leaves bills inside water meter boxes and, when asked to deliver them at the doorstep, reportedly responds that it is not his responsibility.
The hilly terrain of the area has added to the difficulties, as several water meters are located downhill and at a distance from the main entrances of houses.
As a result, senior citizens are forced to walk down to collect their bills or wait for their spouses or children to return home.
Taking serious note of the issue, senior citizen Satyawati Umaji Sonurlekar, a resident of the area and a water consumer for the past 32 years, has lodged a formal complaint against the meter reader concerned, alleging uncooperative behaviour and refusal to consider the difficulties faced by elderly residents.
In her complaint, she has demanded strict action against the employee and requested the department to address the issue at the earliest.
The complainant has also warned that if the department fails to take appropriate action or provide a written response within 15 days, she will approach higher authorities and file an application under the Right to Information Act, 2005, seeking details about the meter reader's duties and the action taken on her complaint.
Residents have appealed to authorities to intervene and ensure that senior citizens and other consumers are not subjected to unnecessary hardship while accessing essential public services.
