COIMBATORE: Steady rise in revenue has enabled Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to clear its dues with Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) for water supplied to it through the Pillur and Siruvani projects. The civic body released Rs 3 crore recently.
As per sources, CCMC has collected Rs 151 crore, the second highest revenue collected among the 20 municipal corporations in the State, after Tiruchy, since July when property tax was revised. CCMC has to pay monthly fee of Rs 1.5 crore to the Pillur division and Rs 3 crore to the Siruvani division of TWAD for maintenance of pipeline and other works. Due to irregular payments, CCMC accumulated dues of more than Rs 300 crore. It owes around Rs 70 crore to the Pillur division since 2015 and Rs 250 crore to Siruvani division since 2007.
CCMC commissioner M Prathap said, “We have collected Rs 151 crore so far, of the Rs 344 crore target for the current financial year. This has helped to reduce the corporation’s debt substantially. The debt was Rs 230 crore in June and it has reduced to Rs 120 crore now. “
Giving a break-up of revenue distribution, he said, “We allocate 37% for water supply and related works and 18% for education. Around Rs 2 to 2.5 crore is being collected as tax and other charges daily on an average. This includes Rs 14 lakh in water supply charges. As financial position of civic body has improved in the past six months, we started settling bills of TWAD.”
With revenue improving, the civic body released Rs 3 crore for November. Of the Rs 3 crore, around Rs 2.5 crore was given to the Siruvani division and the rest to Pillur division. Prathap added,” In the upcoming days, we plan to release Rs 2 to 3 crore every month to the TWAD board for the water supply and maintenance works.”
Meanwhile, Kerala’s irrigation department demanded about Rs 40 crore for the maintenance of Siruvani dam, officials’ salary, staff quarters, water supply and paving new roads on the Siruvani mountain, sources added.