On March 3, 75-year-old Govin Gore was shocked to see a huge water bill on his phone. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) sent him a bill of Rs 10,74,787 for February.
Gore, who lives in Shaniwar Peth, said the bill caused his blood pressure to rise. “I was so shocked that I thought I might get a heart attack,” he said. His wife, who has heart problems, was also scared. “Her blood pressure went up, and she was very worried about how we would pay such a huge amount,” he added.
After receiving the bill, Gore visited an internet café to take printouts. That’s when he noticed that the bill had his mobile number but a different name. “It means PMC sent me the wrong bill,” he said.
Gore has had a half-inch water connection since 2012. His usual monthly water bill is around Rs 100 or Rs 125. “I have never received a bill even close to Rs 1,000, so this amount was shocking,” he said. He also shared that he has no pension, and his son is unemployed.
On March 4, he received another bill of Rs 127, which he paid. However, there was still no explanation from PMC about the Rs 10 lakh bill.
Gore filed a complaint at the PMC office on March 4, but there was no response. He then decided to visit the PMC commissioner on March 12. However, the commissioner was unavailable. The officials told him not to worry and to go home and rest. “They said such mistakes happen sometimes, but they didn’t admit any fault. Their mistake could have put someone’s life in danger. I was completely shocked when I saw the bill,” Gore said.
When asked about the issue, PMC’s water supply engineer, Nandkishore Jagtap, said, “Today is a holiday for PMC. I will check the bill tomorrow and get back to the senior citizen.”
