Hyderabad: The cash-strapped Water Board has been trying to make the best of the Revenue Recovery Act to collect thousands of crores of rupees towards bills due and accrued arrears.
The Water Board invoked the RR Act and confiscated mobile assets for non-payment of dues from a defaulter under the jurisdiction of O&M Division X, Sahebnagar on Wednesday.
“The occupants of the premises of R. Sarojini, H.No: 4-53, Vikas nagar, Dilsukhnagar, with CAN No. 024254946, were already under disconnection. They had been served a Red Notice and Form-I under the RR Act was also issued for seizing assets, but the customers had failed to pay the dues of Rs 3,55,246,” said C. Raj, general manger, Division X.
The Water Board started invoking the RR Act since July 2013 and have been effectively using it to collect dues. The Water Board, which has formed special teams to collect dues, has issued disconnection notices to hundreds of consumers and is set to invoke the RR Act on failing to pay the bill.
“The Board has over Rs 1,080 crore bills due including arrears to be collected and has set a target a collecting Rs 100 crore each month. Hence, the RR Act is being more frequently invoked and in the last two months, the Rs 100 crore revenue target was met,” said a source with the Board, adding, “In SR Nagar and Banjara Hills, over 700 notices have been served.”
A Red Notice issued after disconnection of supply denotes a seven-day time frame to pay the dues. Following that, a Form I notice indicates that the Board can seize movable properties any time, said the official.
Director (revenue) P.S. Suryanarayana said, “Invoking the RR Act has helped us collect target revenues and hundreds of notices for minimum arrears of Rs 10,000 have been served this time.”
