The civic body is very particular in recovering pending water bills from the common citizens. However, it seems to be employing double standards when it comes to applying the same due diligence of law makers. According to an RTI query, the Chief Minister's official residence, as well as bungalows of several senior ministers, owe the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) nearly Rs 8 crores in water bills, and the corporation has included these properties in its defaulters' list.

According to data procured by RTI activist Shakeel Shaikh, Chief Minister's bungalow has Rs 7.44 lakh in water tax pending since last year. Government bungalows of all State Ministers, owes the BMC around Rs 8 crore. As per the records of the BMC's Hydraulic department, The BMC has Rs 2,187 crores pending in water tax from 2,37,000 defaulters across the city.

However, the ministers have also followed suit when it comes to non-compliance regarding paying bills on time. The other bungalows that have defaulted on water tax include those of Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, Housing Minister Prakash Mehta, Women and Child Development Minister Pankaja Munde, Education Minister Vinod Tawde, Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savra, among others. They too have dues since last year. The Sahyadri guest house at Malabar Hill has pending bills amounting to Rs 12.04 lakh.

"If citizens default on water tax, the BMC is quick to take action and disconnect the water supply. Does Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi have the courage to disconnect water connections of these ministers' bungalows? If government ministers and departments are not paid water bills on time then why common citizens will pay?" questioned Shakil Sheikh.

Taking potshots at the ministers, NCP Leader Jitendra Ahwad offered to pay the outstanding bills of CM's bungalow "since the CM's office cannot afford to pay it". He has also questioned if BMC gives same leverage to defaulting common man.

Meanwhile, the ministers are putting the blame on the Public Works Department (PWD).

"We stay in government bungalows and it is PWD's responsibility to pay the bills. We will ask the PWD officials to pay the bills at the earliest, " said Vinod Tawde, whose Sevasadan bungalow has outstanding bill of Rs 1.62 lakh.

"We had paid the bills of the Chief Minister and other ministers' government residences in November 2018. However, after finding discrepancies in the bills we had stopped paying. We will pay the dues at the earliest," stated the PWD in a press release.

(With inputs from ZMN)