Jamshedpur, July 19: The state urban development department has served a notice to Jamshedpur Utilities and Service Company (Jusco) asking the officials to implement the water tariff that has been fixed by the government in its command area.

The letter issued today by the special officer of Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) has asked Jusco to change the rates of water tariff in accordance with the rates fixed by the state urban development department on May 31 this year through a government notification. The water connection and monthly charges fixed by the urban development department are apparently lower than the rates being charged by Jusco in its command areas.

However, the notice served to Jusco is seen as a result of the war of attrition between the urban development department and Tata Steel over setting up a municipal corporation in the city.

The JNAC officials said the lease agreement between the Tata Steel and state government clearly mentions that the civic amenities charges put up by the private company should not exceed the rates fixed by the government.

Recently, state urban development has tried to tighten the noose over Jusco extending civic amenity in Jamshedpur at the behest of Tata Steel.

According to sources, Jusco charges anything between Rs 450 to Rs 1,250 as residential water tariff depending on the number of stories in a building. The water connection charges and service charges levelled by Jusco also runs to about Rs 9,000, whereas local civic bodies charge between Rs 120 to Rs 540.

JNAC special officer Sunil Kumar Singh said they have issued a similar letter to Jusco on June 28 but a reply from Jusco is awaited. Head of corporate communications at Jusco said he had no knowledge about any such notice of the district administration.