Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Monday issued a rule upon the respondents to explain in four weeks as to why the notice of the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) to increase water tariff by 25 percent from April 1 this year should not be declared illegal.
The High Court bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Md Khairul Alam passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed in this regard.
In the rule the court also wanted to know from the respondent as to why the Section 22(3) of the Sewerage Authority Act 1996 should not be declared illegal and ultra vires to the Constitution.
Local government secretary, law secretary, additional secretaries of the local government division’s water supply branch and law branch, managing director of Dhaka Wasa and deputy managing director (finance0 of Dhaka Wasa have been asked to comply with the rule within four weeks.
Advocate Tanvir Ahmed, a Supreme Court lawyer, on June 15 this year filed the writ petition challenging the Dhaka Wasa’s decision to increase water tariff by 25 percent from April 1 this year.
Mr Tanvir Ahmed himself took part in the hearing in support of the petition, while deputy attorney general Noor-Us Sadik represented the state.
Earlier on June 22, virtual High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim issued injunction till August 10 on the decision of Dhaka Wasa to hike the price of water from April 1. Later the chamber court of the Appellate Division on June 30 stayed the High Court order. Advocate Tanvir said when the virtual High Court bench imposed injunction over the decision then it didn’t issue any rule. But the court asked to place the petition in a regular High Court bench after it had resumed.
“Following the High Court direction we placed the petition today (Monday) in a regular High Court bench and the court issued the rule,” added the lawyer.
Citing from the petition, the lawyer said that Dhaka Wasa had increased the water tariff by 5 percent on September 1 last year. It has further increased the water price by 25 percent since April 1 this year by a notification issued on February 26, which was reported in different newspapers, he added.
The advocate said most of the countrymen are now facing serious financial crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic, hiking the water tariff is not only illegal but also a heartless act.
