The Hindu       25.01.2011

Corporation recovers Rs. 3 crore in water dues

Pay the principal on dues of your drinking water bill and get the interest on the dues waived — this strategy of the Mysore City Corporation (MCC) to recover water dues accrued over the last nine years seems to have helped mop up revenues.

The principal on water dues amounting to Rs. 3 crore has been collected from defaulters, including domestic, commercial and industrial consumers, since the launch of this special drive in November last year.

This “interest waiver” may be available till April this year, said sources in the MCC.

Mounting dues

Drinking water bill dues are only mounting in Mysore, with defaulters owing nearly Rs. 68 crore — Rs. 39 crore in principal and Rs. 29 crore in interest.

The Vani Vilas Waterworks (VVWW), a subsidiary of the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, which was looking after water distribution in the city on behalf of the MCC until the Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company Ltd. took over, had sent a proposal to the Government last year, urging an interest waiver.

VVWW Executive Engineer Subramanya told The Hindu, “We have been told that a Government Order has been issued in this regard, but we have not received the order yet. Therefore, we cannot officially announce the interest waiver. Nevertheless, the defaulters have been told to pay the dues excluding the interest.”

The burden on defaulters would be less if they paid the amount in instalments instead of waiting for the official announcement, he suggested.

Mr. Subramanya said councillors were helping in the recovery of dues in their respective wards.

It may be noted that notices had been served on all defaulters in 2009, directing them to clear their dues, but few responded.

Consumers asked to pay principal on water dues and get interest on it waived