Indian Express 15.12.2009
Outstanding bill is Rs 741 crore
The BMC is still waiting for Rs 741 crore, outstanding water dues from various government and private organisations, says the reply to an RTI application by activist Milind Mulay. Domestic users are suffering amid a 15 per cent water cut but private organisations owe the BMC Rs 351 crore, nearly half the total.
Of the dues from State and Central agencies, MHADA tops the list with Rs 101 crore, followed by Western Railway with Rs.57 crore. The state owes 5.78 per cent of the total dues, the Centre 3.84 per cent. Central Railway owes Rs 28 crore. BMC’s wards offices and its sister concern BEST also owe money; various civic departments have a pending bill of Rs 7 crore.
“Since water billing was computerised in April 2001, the dues have run into crores and the BMC has done nothing to retrieve it. They should have been aggressive,” Mulay said.
Additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar said the BMC has been writing to these agencies. “A decision at state level is required to make them pay up,” he said.
