The Hindu 23.01.2014
Water dues: SCB to pay Rs. 2 cr. part payment
Board owes Rs. 32.61 crore to HMWSSB
The Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) has finally
agreed to make part payment of Rs. 2 crore out of the Rs. 32.61 crore
accumulated arrears payable to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply
and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB). Of the Rs.32.61 crore, Rs. 24 crore was
outstanding dues and the rest is interest on the same amount.
It
has also decided to pay Rs. 4.33 crore connection charges towards water
supply from Hasmathpet and Gunrock Village pump houses. The SCB needs
to pay another Rs. 9.73 crore for commencement of water supply of eight
lakh gallons per day from Karkhana reservoir.
The
HMWSSB has recently demanded that the SCB pay Rs.32.61 crore within six
months promising to freeze the amount without levying further interest
on the existing arrears.
At a special board meeting
on Wednesday, members observed that clearing such a huge amount within
six months was tough and agreed to make part payment.
“It
was decided to request the HMWSSB to permit six months for paying the
rest of the dues,” said SCB Chief Executive Officer Sujatha Gupta.
HMWSSB is presently collecting about Rs.1.27 crore as monthly bill from
SCB charging Rs.13.50 per kilolitre.
A request is
being made to the government to offer concession for water supplied to
slums, she said. SCB is allotting unique consumer numbers to all
consumers and install water meters. About 5,000 water meters are to be
installed in Bolarum shortly as a pilot project, she explained.
