PIL filed seeking probe into misuse of funds by water board

HYDERABAD: A public interest litigation petition was  filed in the Hyderabad High Court seeking a probe into the alleged misappropriation of government funds to a tune of `24 crore in Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB).

Petitioner P Sai Kumar, resident of the city, submitted that the Telangana government had sanctioned `3,375 crore for the purpose of providing drinking water to Hyderabad city from Yellampally reservoir of Godavari river. As part of it, works under package-III costing `810 crore for approved pipeline length of 58 km was executed by L&T-KBL-MAYTAS (JV) company. After completion of the work, the company  submitted the bills and claimed the amount.

As the matter stood thus, the officials from HMWSSB in collusion with WAPCO (quality assurance) submitted a bogus bill to the government for `24 crore as excess payment than the original amount and the reason cited was change in alignment, and surprisingly the additional amount of `24 crore was also released for the work which was not done. The bogus bill was raised without there being any change in the original alignment for laying pipeline from Kondapaka to Ghanapur balancing reservoir under Moulana Abdul Kalam Sujala Sravanthi water supply of Godavari water to Hyderabad city, the petitioner pointed out.

He sought directions to the state government to initiate action against the officials involved in the misappropriation of government funds thereby causing loss to the exchequer, and also to order an enquiry into it.

Principal secretary to municipal administration and urban development, managing director of HMWSSB and others concerned were named as the respondents.