Hyderabad: In what can further strain relations between Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh, the Water Board in the city is getting ready to serve notices to offices of AP in the Greater Hyderabad limits towards dues since the state bifurcation.
After the bifurcation, the utility departments including water, power and property tax had to issue separate bills to the offices of TS and AP governments.
Currently, most offices of both the states are functioning from the same building after division of floors and building blocks.
However, the Telangana government is ready to pay only 48 per cent of the bills as its share (as per conditions of the bifurcation).
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government is not ready to pay the bills as the building belongs to the Telangana government.
“Monthly water bills of the Secretariat, Assembly and MLA quarters comes to around Rs 33 lakh. However, we have received payments from the TS government that paid 48 per cent share, until December. However, bills are due from AP government,” said G. Raghu, the general manager, division IV, Water Board.
The Roads and Buildings (R&B) department had to divide the utility bills that is generated from one connection. “The TS government has sought separate water connection and pumping system,” said an official of the Water Board.
Similarly, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, that used to collect Rs 40 crore for all the government buildings within the city limits, now has to furnish separate bills to the respective governments.
“The annual Rs 40 crore bill will be divided in 48:52 ratio,” said Harikrishna, additional commissioner (revenue), GHMC.
