AP High Court directs state government to allocate funds for Hyderabad Water Board.
Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh High Court clarified that it was the responsibility of the state government to allocate necessary funds to the Hyderabad Water Board to supply drinking water to the citizens.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta and Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar was dealing with a PIL by Forum for Good Governance represented by its secretary Padmanabha Reddy urging the court to direct the state government to implement the report of the Board for supply of uninterrupted protected water supply to the citizens living in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits.
He submitted that the Board has presented a report to the government seeking Rs 1,152 crore financial assistance for supply of drinking water. The principal secretary to municipal and urban development department submitted an affidavit stating that it was not feasible to the government to allocate the amount to the Water Board.
The official submitted that the government advised the Board to utilise Rs 74 crore allotted in its budget for replacement of old pipelines and to curb leakages. He said that the government has spent Rs 200 crore in the past five years to improve water supply in the city.
The bench expressed its dissatisfaction on the affidavit asking who else will grant funds to the Board if the government expresses its inability. The bench directed the authorities to produce all the details with regard to allocation of funds to the Board within four weeks.
( Source : dc )
Next Story
