6.2 lakh Bengaluru consumers set to get Rs 300-crore relief under water authority’s scheme

Bengaluru: More than 6.2 lakh Cauvery water consumers are set to benefit from a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme announced by Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). Under it, interest and penalties amounting to Rs 299 crore on long-pending water bills will be waived.The beneficiaries include 5.3 lakh residential connections, 48,000 commercial establishments and several state/central govt offices. The total outstanding dues from these defaulters stand at Rs 833.1 crore, and the water board aims to recover Rs 534.1 crore as principal.
The cabinet approved OTS scheme on the lines of the initiative implemented earlier for property tax arrears under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA). Bengaluru has 15–16 lakh Cauvery water connections, of which over 6.2 lakh consumers accumulated arrears over several years.BWSSB chairman Ram Prasath Manohar said the scheme is designed to balance consumer relief with revenue recovery. "The objective is not punitive action but to give genuine defaulters the final opportunity to clear long-pending dues. If consumers pay the entire principal amount within the stipulated period, the interest and penalty will be completely waived," Manohar told TOI.The scheme, to be launched by deputy CM DK Shivakumar soon, will remain in force for 90 days from the date of launch.