DJB late payment surcharge waiver scheme extended till March 2027

In a major relief for water consumers, the Delhi government has extended the Delhi Jal Board's (DJB) Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) waiver scheme till March 2027, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Sunday, August 16.

The waiver applies to both domestic and non-domestic consumers. The deadline for availing the scheme was earlier set at August 15.

Under the scheme so far, 5,27,514 consumers have benefited, with the DJB waiving Rs 3,261 crore in LPSC, according to Singh. At the same time, the Board has collected Rs 815.84 crore in principal dues from domestic and non-domestic consumers, helping strengthen its finances, he said.

"For a family, an old water bill can remain a worry for years. When LPSC keeps getting added, the amount becomes difficult to clear. We wanted to give people a genuine opportunity pay the principal amount and leave the burden of LPSC behind," Singh said.

"We are not asking people to pay more. We are asking people to pay what they actually owe. If the principal amount is paid, 100 per cent LPSC will be waived. This is real relief for consumers and a responsible way of strengthening the Jal Board's finances," the minister added.

The waiver covers 14.09 lakh domestic and 70,312 commercial consumers, giving a large number of residents and establishments a chance to clear old outstanding water bills without the burden of accumulated surcharge, Singh said.

"The waiver has been extended up to 31 March 2027, and no further extension will be allowed beyond this date. I appeal to every consumer who has old water dues to use this window, clear the principal amount and close the matter once and for all," he said.

The DJB has directed all field offices to give wide publicity to the final settlement scheme and inform consumers about the LPSC waiver available on payment of principal dues, according to the minister.

(Inputs from PTI)