Mangaluru: No doubt the motto of Aam Admi Party is to weed out corruption in the country- and one such example has come to light with one of the local AAP active member Dr Deepak D’Souza, who is also a Professor of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology at Yenopoya Medical College, who held a press meet at Managalore Press Club about a sting operation that he conducted, revealing the water meter tampering racket undertaken by the meter reader, some builders, staff in the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) computer section, and also the MCC Engineer. The video footage of the sting operation was also shown during the press meet.
Addressing the media persons, Dr Deepak D’souza said, ” The sting operation was conducted, following all due procedures, after a long wait for this opportunity. This video was recorded by me at my on going building construction along with support by a media reporter of a website and 2 AAP members namely Walter Menezes and Er Rajendra Kumar (treasurer, AAP DK unit), who were hiding inside the house to stand as witness for this entire episode. The building is located in 2nd cross, Bendur, Mangalore.
Dr D’Souza further said, “The video footage shows an authorized person (MCC certified water meter reader) tampering water meter without damaging its seal. Shocking to know that our water meters are tamperable. With this instance the MCC was duped for Rs 15,000 last time (sep 2014; bill of about 6,000 instead of 21,000) when he tampered the same water-meter (1000 sq feet construction site) when construction was going on at snails speed. Imagine the amount duped when water-meters of flats under construction are tampered! Painful to guess that MCC is losing crores of rupees in this racket. The meter reader involved in this racket is Naufik, but I am not sure whether it’s his real name”.
“Four type of people are named in this video namely The water-meter-readers, some of the local builders, The computer section staff of MCC, and the Junior Engineer of MCC. Does this mean that this racket of water-meters-tampering has its roots inside Mangaluru City Corporation? In this racket the meter reader will convince the owner of the building in issuing the bill amount than the actual meter reader consumption amount. If the actual consumption amount is Rs 10,000, the meter reader will issue a bill for Rs 5000 or Rs 4000- and for the difference amount he will demand commission around Rs 1000 or Rs 2000. The meter reader makes money, the builder owner saves big time, but MCC loses big time” added Dr D’souza.
Dr Deepak said, ” When the meter reader had come during the month of September 2014 for water meter reading, he had convinced me in lowering the amount of the actual bill. He offered to give me a manipulated bill by tampering the water meter. He said that he will charge me a fee of Rs 300 per Rs 1000 that he reduces from the actual water consumption bill. During that month I didn’t say anything to him, but just listened to his offer. On February 10, 2015 when the same meter reader had come for the reading, I arranged a sting operation to capture his activity on the video”.
“So on February 10 when the meter reader had come to my property for water meter reading, he said taht my water consumption was Rs 21,000, but he would reduce it to Rs 6,000 by tampering the meter, which did cause a loss of Rs 15,000 to MCC. For doing the amount adjustment he demanded Rs 2,500 as his commission. When I agreed, he opened the water meter using a hammer, did some changes in the reading and the reading and set it back right. He even told me that the knack of tampering the water meter readings is a top secret between him and the owner, and that no one will come to know about tampering of the water meter seal, since it still remains untouched and intact. He also said that he does this kind of deal only to certain people and not everyone” added Dr D’souza.
Dr D’souza further said, ” The agent involved in this racket has admitted that he does this kind of service to some builders in town, and that he also has some connection with some staff in the computer section of MCC, including a JE at MCC. I have even brought this issue to the attention of MCC Commissioner who said that she will look into the matter, but the results are all in vain. I have even approached a member of the Lokayuktha department on this issue. I decided to have this press meet so that the public and the concerned authorities of the MCC will know about the racket that has been going on all these years, where the MCC might have lost in crores. As far as I know the MCC makes around Rs 35 crores from nearly 80,000 water connections coming under its limits”
Dr Marcy Pinto- Head of local AAP unit addressing the media appealed to the citizens and concerned authorities saying, “Demands of the Aam Aadmi Party Mangaluru is that MCC Commissioner should suspend the services of the pertaining contractor with immediate effect pending a thorough investigation by the suitable authorities. MCC to look into the performance of the contractor to establish the loss suffered by the MCC through this nefarious activity. MCC must file FIR against these criminally accused people. Time bound investigations must unearth every minute details of this racket. Guilty must be punished. Public money that is lost so far by the MCC must be recovered. Technical review of all the existing meters, their status (tampered or not tampered),if required, to be replaced with immediate effect”
She further said,” AAP appeals to the citizens of Mangaluru that with social responsibility and anti-corruption attitude in mind, carry on similar sting operations by using cell phone cameras. AAP can be contacted for gadgets or assistance. Citizens can reach AAP-DK on this number 0824-2424677. AAP treasurer Rajendra Kumar was also present during the press meet.