Telangana: Linking Aadhaar to free water scheme flayed

Hyderabad: Denizens are quite angry at the recent move by the Telangana government to link Aadhaar details to thefree water supply scheme.

In its poll manifesto, the TRS promised to supply up to 20,000 liters of free drinking water to every household. People are sore as the government insists on Aadhaar link to avail of the scheme.

Expressing disappointment, K Santosh Kumar, a resident of Janapriya Apartments, Mothi Nagar, said, "Taxing citizens to safeguard locals is a master move of the Telangana government. The scheme would benefit only a few but not all, hence the thought of linking Aadhaar must not be on priority list."

"We have two houses, and we need water for both houses. We have relocated from Bihar. How would the free water scheme help us, if the government links Aadhaar to the scheme?" rued another resident K Sanjeev Kumar from Mettuguda.

It may be recalled that the High Court has already struck down the order linking Aadhaar for Dharani scheme. "TRS has made a poll promise to provide free drinking water. It needs to be implemented without the restriction of mandatory Aadhaar. The government needs to work on a sustainable plan to utilise water resources close to the city and draw up a city water and drainage development plan to make revenues, but not this smart taxation," said G Vamshi, Kompally.

CPM leaders have opposed the G.O.NO 211 issued by MA&UD which makes linking of Aadhaar mandatory for drinking water connections in the city of Hyderabad. "The government carefully released this one day after the municipal elections in Hyderabad on December 1. By treating supply of drinking water as a subsidy, the Government of Telangana is turning water into a commodity which only a few can afford," said Greater CPM Hyderabad City Committee Secretary M Srinivas. The linking of Aadhaar with water connections is not to supply water, but to lay the ground to privatise water supply in the future, he added.

Senior officials from the Water Board say that the government is yet to take a decision on the process of implementation of free water supply.