Mantralaya inhabitants gulp down mineral water worth Rs 4.66 Lakhs in 5 Months.

The Ministers, Secretaries and other govt staffers, working in Mantralaya are now accustomed to drinking bottled mineral water, as against that being supplied by the BMC, in the last 5 months they have drank up a bill of Rs 4.66 Lakhs for Bisleri water in all consuming 24,648 Litres of water. The similar quantity of BMC water supplied by the pipeline would have costed Rs 171=00 only. RTI Activist Anil Galgali had sought information from the state govt regarding the cost and quantity of consumption of Bisleri Water in Mantralaya. In a reply to the query Mr J M Salvi, General Manager & Public Information Officer of the Mantralaya Canteen informed Anil Galgali that, Between December 2014 to April 2015 comprising of 5 months a total of 83,628 Bisleri Bottles of water was purchased at the cost of Rs 4,66,019=88. Of these, the maximum usage was of 250 ML Bottles accounting for 68,976 bottles amounting to Rs 3,67,642=08, the next was 14,496 bottles of 500 ML amounting to Rs 96,688=32, The 1 Litre bottle consumed was just 156 bottles amounting to 1,689=48. Anil Galgali had also sought copies of the GR authorizing purchase of bottled water, apart from the water supply of the BMC, which has not been provided with. According to Galgali, the govt is indulging in splurging public money by using mineral water, where as the cost of BMC water for a similar quantity would have costed just Rs 171/= as the BMC charges just Rs 4.32 + Sewerage Charges totalling to Rs 6.912 for 1000 litres of water supplied through its pipelines. In Mantralaya there is a Acquaguard purified system installed by Government. In a situation where the state is reeling under severe drought, and the citizens are craving for even single drop of water, the people who are supposed to perform for the citizens are indulging in wasteful expenditure by consuming mineral water alleged Galgali in a letter addressed to CM Devendra Fadnavis. In his letter Galgali further stated that, the Water supplied by the BMC is of best quality and also pure and clean, hence the CM should instruct usage of the BMC water only for drinking purposes, also if any Minister or a Babu wants to consume bottled mineral water, then they should buy that water and pay from their own pockets.