Govt offices guzzle crores, board in deep water

Md A Basith / TNN / Feb 26, 2006, 01:36 IST

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Government offices owe several crores of rupees to the HMWS&SB, but they are not forthcoming.

Govt offices guzzle crores, board in deep water

HYDERABAD: Government offices owe several crores of rupees to the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), but they are not forthcoming. The police department alone has to clear arrears of Rs 3.2 crore.
Not just this, alleged threat from MLAs, corporators and local goons to prevent action against general defaulters has the staff scurrying for cover.
The threat is so great that the water board has sought police protection for its employees besides forming its own task force to protect bill collectors from attacks.
A whopping Rs 90 crore dues are long-pending from domestic, commercial and government categories, and Rs 70 crore is collectable.

A major share of dues is supposed to be collected from domestic consumers while 35 per cent of the total amount is supposed to be collected from various government departments.
The board fixed Rs 20 crore as the target each for February and March and pressed almost 80 per cent of the water board staff into service for collecting arrears.
In several areas when water board staff took harsh measures like disconnecting water line, locals leaders including MLAs and corporators are backing the defaulters.

With the staff refusing to take up collection duties fearing reprisals from the defaulters, the water board has formed a task force for the protection of the staff.
"We are facing threat from local leaders who instead of helping the water board are creating problems to our staff," director finance G K Rao told TOI.
There are about one lakh consumers who have not paid bills for more than six months. Employees of the water board have even lodged police complaints against some corporators in the Old City for leading the attacks on their staff.
Gram panchayats and municipalities owe Rs 12 crore and Rs 6 crore respectively, but dues are not coming from these local bodies due to financial problems, senior officials told TOI.
Government hospitals have to pay Rs 44 lakh, school education department owes Rs 23 lakh, roads and buildings department Rs 80 lakh and government guest houses Rs 13 lakh.
Fed up with lack of response from the government offices on non-payment of arrears, the water board requested ministers to intervene. But that too is not happening.

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