The Times of India 19.03.2013
HC notice to govt on recovery of water dues
HYDERABAD: A division bench comprising acting chief justice N V Ramana
and Justice Vilas V Afzulpurkar of the AP High Court on Monday issued a
suo motu contempt notice to the state government for failing to recover
dues of Rs 172 crore owed by various government organisations to the
Hyderabad Metro Water Works and Sewerage Board despite a court order
that made it mandatory.
The bench was dealing with a plea by Forum for Good Governance challenging the water board's move to raise tariffs rather than rely on recovering its dues from big players like government departments and private companies etc.
On July 31, 2012, the high court had directed the municipal and urban development department to ensure the recovery of Rs 172 crore dues within two months. It had also ordered them to not enhance water tariff till then and to reassess the need for a hike after the dues were collected.
Earlier, the department had admitted before court that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation ( GHMC) had water dues of Rs 49.4 crore. The police department had pending dues of Rs 5.78 crore, surrounding gram panchayats and municipalities had Rs 41.52 crore and Rs 22.84 crore respectively, rural water supply department had Rs 29.74 crore, Rajiv Gruha Kalpa Corporation had Rs 4.46 crore, Gandhi Medical College had Rs 4.16 crore, Military Engineering Services had Rs 7.13 crore and other departments had Rs 7.35 crore.
On Monday, Justice Ramana asked the government counsel the reasons for not implementing its earlier order on recovery of dues. With the counsel failing to furnish a convincing reply, the bench said it will take suo motu cognisance of the case under the Contempt of Courts Act. Accordingly, the bench issued notices to the state government and the water board, and adjourned the case for two weeks.
The bench was dealing with a plea by Forum for Good Governance challenging the water board's move to raise tariffs rather than rely on recovering its dues from big players like government departments and private companies etc.
On July 31, 2012, the high court had directed the municipal and urban development department to ensure the recovery of Rs 172 crore dues within two months. It had also ordered them to not enhance water tariff till then and to reassess the need for a hike after the dues were collected.
Earlier, the department had admitted before court that the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation ( GHMC) had water dues of Rs 49.4 crore. The police department had pending dues of Rs 5.78 crore, surrounding gram panchayats and municipalities had Rs 41.52 crore and Rs 22.84 crore respectively, rural water supply department had Rs 29.74 crore, Rajiv Gruha Kalpa Corporation had Rs 4.46 crore, Gandhi Medical College had Rs 4.16 crore, Military Engineering Services had Rs 7.13 crore and other departments had Rs 7.35 crore.
On Monday, Justice Ramana asked the government counsel the reasons for not implementing its earlier order on recovery of dues. With the counsel failing to furnish a convincing reply, the bench said it will take suo motu cognisance of the case under the Contempt of Courts Act. Accordingly, the bench issued notices to the state government and the water board, and adjourned the case for two weeks.
