JUSCO fined 2.5 crores

According to the agreement, the deadline set was connecting 1.7 lakh houses by December 2012. However, they have connected only 50,000 houses against the target of 70,000 till now.

This is from the Deccan Herald report accessible here.

So, they have achieved 71% of their target, as of now. I would look at it as a remarkable achievement, considering the kind of hurdles placed in their way, right from the very beginning, by the mafioso within the governmental set up (who largely control the tanker-water/ bore-well business), apart from the vicious campaign let loose by the "mai-baap sarkar"/ psuedo-socialist types.

On a comparison, here and here are some glimpses of BWSSB's performance over the decades that it has been in-charge of supplying water to Bangalore city (apart from managing its sewerage).

What becomes very clear is that when it's a government agency that's in-charge, there are no expectations whatsoever from the citizens. After some cursory attempts at seeking (rather, imploring for) redressal, they just give up, and learn to manage with alternate arrangements. But, when it comes to a private agency, the very same people are out there thirsting for the agency's blood, even more than the water. And, playing to the galleries are the neta, babu, press lot, orchestrated of course by the mafioso and the MBS lot.

There is also talk of incompetence/ inexperience on the part of the JUSCO team members. Actually, we don't know. We don't have their version, with the press being silent on that bit. Either way, being about the first large scale water-supply outsourcing contract undertaken in the country, one would have expected TATAs to mobilise their best resources, and manage things more professionally, in order to make it a model for the rest of the country - the stakes involved are huge, apart from the matter of the prestige attached to the TATA brand. Perhaps, they are at it; time will tell.

Whatever, I would still like to bet on their doing a good job of it eventually, like in the case of Delhi power supply, which, at the end of eight years from the time of taking over, is today set to become a model for the rest of the country - check this.

The power supply reforms actually took much longer than the eight years for the TATAs to stabilise their operations. Much before them, a foreign company took over the supply in Central Orissa, and after struggling with it for a few years and incurring huge losses in the process, sold out to Goenka's and ran away. The Goenka's had, through their Kolkata operations, mastered the "technology" of "playing the game", and have stabilised the operations since then, in their own way. Eventually, it required the TATAs to establish the right kind of model, atleast for the cities.

Responses to the MBS propaganda, may be accessed here

All of the objections raised have more or less been addressed fairly comprehensively here. There is very little to add.

Socialsm for the rich and the markets for the poor is not a slogan but the reality.

Perhaps, this is an attempt at 'jargonising' on the lines of "privatisation of profits and nationalisation of losses" that some leftist "intellectual" had come up with - all of them only helps to obfuscate matters, and nothing more.

Meanwhile, the debate on the "Draft National Water Policy (2012)" can perhaps be taken up here.

@ Mr PA - The discussion on this blog (started by you) is largely about MCC-JUSCO contract. If you have any inputs on that, we can possibly debate them over here. As for general "socialism vs capitalism", etc talk, there's this blog in PRAJA itself (here), where, if you make your postings, those interested will perhaps engage you.

And, as for Kingfisher bail-out, if at all it happens, it'll be by a consortium of commercial banks, who will very likely demand restructuring of the management, including perhaps the stepping down of Mr Vijay Mallya himself from the board. As compared to that, in the case of AIR-INDIA, the bail out is by the government, and for the Nth time, and there dosn't seem to be any end in sight ever. Whatever, all that can also be discussed in a separate blog, if you want to start one, rather than cluttering up things here.

Coming back to MCC-JUSCO deal, being a close observer of the goings on, I am sure you have read the following in the Star of Mysore (click here for the full report):

Mystery of missing 10 MLD water: Addressing press persons after an inspection of several places about the scarcity of drinking water in city, Ramdas alleged that 10 million liters a day (MLD) of water from Vijayanagar water tank was being misused by these officials. - - - While records show that 53 MLD water was being released to the water tank at Vijayanagar, JUSCO officials have reported that only 43 MLD water is being released. The remaining 10 MLD water is being deviated to unauthorised consumers by these officials, said the Minister. - - - - It is alleged that 10 MLD water is being siphoned off from the main supply line from Vijayanagar water tank to Kumbarakoplu, Gokulam, Metagalli and neighbouring layouts. But where does this missing volume of water go? Since how many years is this pilferage going on? Whose is to be blamed — the MCC, the VVWW or the JUSCO? Are the officials concerned not aware of this major water theft? These are some of the questions about which the authorities have maintained a divine silence and are more engrossed in "Raja Marga" and "heritage" works.

In my earlier post, while I had talked about hurdles placed in the way of JUSCO, I had deliberately restrained myself from using the word 'sabotage', since I was not privy to any reports on the same, other than from heresay. Now, of course, it's clearly before us all; and very obviously the reason why the progress has been tardy.

The officials protecting their vested interests is understandable, though not tolerable. But, what may be the motive of the cover up by people supposedly occupying Civil Society space?

Clearly the elite want a Mai baap sarkar to contniue but the fear is to call it a subsidy which it really is

Points serialled at 1 - 12 have already been addressed by me adequately (in the post, to which I have given links enough times). That you refuse to accept them, is another matter. But, at sl no 13, I now notice that you have made a very valid point.

Very correctly as has been pointed out, piped water supply is currently subsidised, the tariff being in the range of just Rs 9 per KL (for monthly consumption between 8 KL to 25 KL per month, in which range most middle class (elite?) family consumption falls), compared to the cost of reaching water to Bangalore (from Cauvery) of nearly Rs 30 per KL. If the reforms, as envisaged in the National Water Policy-2012 were to come into effect, the 'elite' will have to pay atleast the actual costs. So, the ones who are championing the fight against it are clearly the 'elite', who are currently enjoying subsidy.

One relief however will be that, with improved delivery leading to lesser dependence on the tanker wallahs, whose charges are in the range of Rs 60 per KL, the overall costs may turn out lower than what it is actually costing the average 'elite' citizen today, and for better quality of water.

Corporators and ministers

So, you'll believe the Corporators, not the Minister; likewise Mr Raikar and not Mr Manivannan???

Rs 25 cr per year loot

- for 5 years, that will amount to Rs 125 cr, which is about the total value of the contract. So, according to you, no money has been expended on the contract so far? Fantastic!!!

MoUD, Delhi is hardly going to pour cold water over this? WHY? since the project was pushed by the MoUD in the Ist place and if it fails now the egg will be on their face.

So, MoUD, Delhi is also on your villains list? And, you are worried that the whole thing may actually turn out successful, and Mysoreans will begin to enjoy better water supply, thanks to the job being entrusted with a TATA company, like the Delhi people are beginning to enjoy better power supply entusted with another TATA company (check this)?

Isn't it true that the toast is always buttered for the elite.....

The butter is melting, and showing out clearly as to whose cause the mai-baap sarkar wallah's are championing - certainly not of the poor.

Like I have stated before, the blame for the sorry state of affairs in this country is not as much with the neta's, nor with the babu's, but with we clearly know who.
 

Perhaps, the suggestion made was to increase the Income Tax rates. That was indeed what was done by the ultimate pseudo-Socialist of all times - Madame Indira Gandhi - taking the I/T levy levels to almost 98% (if I recall right). And, that was when the process of flight of capital to Swiss banks received the biggest boost of all times, as also the flourishing of the black economy in the country, leaving the government with hardly any money to invest even in the social sector. Even the Yechuri's and Karat's have today evolved past that stage, whereas a few still seem to remain in the 'wannabe Madame Gandhi' mould, even today.

A reading of this essay by Mr S A Aiyer would perhaps enlighten a reader (of course, only the ones looking to be enlightened) as to the need for rational tax regime.

And, beyond that, the suggestion appears to be to provide free water supply to everyone, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor, since the costs are supposedly already covered by indirect taxes, and since charging for water amounts to its commodification, which is blsphemous as per Socialist scriptures. Perhaps the Havana university may want to consider such a thesis for a doctoral research study.
 

http://praja.in/en/blog/asj/2009/07/13/capitalism-socialism-etc-unload-here#comment-31175

the length of the pipeline network that needs to be rehabilitated was found to be 1,910km

Private players are wasting money. They dont want to use existing infrastructure and bring expensive projects. It is the case with many projects undertaken by private players everywhere.