Jaipur’s water connection policy is set for procedural changes after the High Court questioned its implementation without a gazette notification and objected to contractors carrying out new connections. The Public Health Engineering Department is reviewing the process while retaining the fixed Rs 8,100 single-window fee for applicants.
PHED officials said the department may bring back PHED-registered plumbers for installation work after the court indicated that new water connections should not be carried out by contractors. The department is also examining how the policy was introduced without a gazette notification, following questions raised during the court proceedings.
The proposed changes are not expected to affect the policy’s central consumer-facing feature. Under the existing system, applicants pay a fixed Rs 8,100 through a single-window process and do not need to visit civic bodies separately to pay road-cut charges. Officials said this arrangement was designed to simplify applications and reduce disputes over installation-related payments.
The department introduced the system after civic bodies complained that some PHED-certified plumbers negotiated separately with applicants for civic works linked to installation. Under the current arrangement, PHED contractors cut the road and restore it immediately after completing the connection, according to officials. The possible return of registered plumbers could therefore change who performs the installation while leaving the fixed-fee structure in place.
A senior PHED official said the court had not questioned the provisions intended to reduce difficulties for consumers. “One of the main reasons behind implementing this policy was to ensure that consumers face fewer problems while taking new connections. The high court has not raised any questions on the points related to consumers,” the official said.
PHED chief engineer Dev Raj Solanki said the department would decide its next steps after internal consultation. “We have a plea litigation committee chaired by the secretary and comprising members from the law and finance cells of the department. The committee will discuss the issue and take the final call,” Solanki said.
The committee’s decision will determine how PHED addresses the notification-related objection and assigns responsibility for installation work. Until then, the department’s stated position is that the fixed Rs 8,100 single-window process will continue, while the operational role of contractors and PHED-registered plumbers is reviewed.
