HYDERABAD: Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) minister KT Rama Rao announced a waiver of Rs 15 crore on water bills to be paid by Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) to Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).
The cash starved SCB has to pay about Rs 23 crore pending water bills to HMWSSB. Responding to a request from SCB members during a review meeting at Assembly conference hall in Hyderabad on Saturday, KT Rama Rao announced to waive off Rs 15 crore of the total due amount. He however urged SCB members and officials to pay the remaining dues on time and streamline the water supply and billing system in Secunderabad Cantonment area. “SCB authorities and members should take steps to increase revenue. SCB should pay pending water dues to HMWSSB immediately and all illegal water connections should be regularised,” said KT Rama Rao.
There are about 35,000 water connections in SCB limits and in the review meeting a decision was also taken to implement the same water charges even in SCB limits as in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits.
Commercial Taxes minister T Srinivas Yadav directed SCB members to introduce one time settlement or installments scheme for collecting pending water dues from residents on the occasion.
Excise minister Padma Rao, SCB chief executive officer Sujatha Gupta, HMWSSB managing director B Janardhan Reddy, SCB members, among others were present on the occasion.