Members of Guwahati Sanmilita Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha (GSNAS) Mancha on Saturday sat on a hunger strike in Guwahati, protesting against the government’s proposed move towards the privatization and commercialization of the urban water supply in the city and against the proposed hike in urban property tax. Mancha president Dr Hiren Gohain said, “We have demanded that all the roads in Guwahati, which have been dug up in the name of laying pipes under the water supply projects, should be repaired at the earliest. Each and every streets and lanes of the city is being dug up in the name of laying water pipes, but these are left without being repaired and because of this the commoners are facing a lot of problems.” “The proposed hike of the urban property tax must also be called off immediately. The proposed 600 percent hike in the urban property tax would hit hard the citizens,” he further added. It may be mentioned here that in April this year, representatives of the Mancha met the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) chairman Captain Robin Bordoloi and aired their grievances. The GMDA chairman also assured the Mancha that the important roads in the city would be repaired before Bohag Bihu and the other roads would gradually be repaired. He also said that the details of the deals signed between the government and the companies over the water supply projects would be made available to the Mancha soon.