Hyderabad: Residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board can hope for reduced water bills in the near future.
Brigadier Sunil Bodhe, the SCB president, has asked officials to examine the possibility of reducing the water charges for the common man.
Referring to the free water supply scheme being offered by the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, Brigadier Bodhe asked officials on Wednesday to constitute a committee comprising officials and elected ward members to study and suggest the possibility of reducing the water bill charges which is Rs 315 per month for domestic category consumers.
He said it should not be viewed as a move ahead of the elections and added that all state governments were trying to reduce the financial burden of the common man and the Secunderabad Cantonment Board too should not lag behind.
When officials informed that the Cantonment Board was struggling to pay over Rs 50 crore arrears to the Water Board towards connection charges and water bill dues, and that a majority of people living in slums did not pay their water bills regularly, Brigadier Sunil Bodhe said these suggestions and recommendations could be made in the report to be submitted by the committee that was to be constituted.
As on date, the monthly water bill of SCB being paid to the Water Board towards bulk supplies is Rs 1.20 crore per month. Revenues from bill collection is Rs 1.27 crore per month.
“It may not be possible to reduce water charges in the near future as the financial position of the Board is not vibrant and there are still thousands of illegal water connections that have to be brought in the database of the Cantonment. However, in compliance with the Board president’s directions, we will examine the possibility of reducing the water charges in future and a detailed report will be submitted to him,” said Secunderabad Cantonment Board chief executive officer Sujatha Gupta.
