Basthi residents refuse to pay water bill

Secunderabad: Residents of ward no 3 and the member B Anitha met the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) CEO S V R Chandrashekar here on Wednesday regarding the notices issued to them to pay water bills. The residents claim that the officials threatened to disconnect the connections. Many were served notices to pay Rs 40,000.

The contention of basthi residents is that the SCB calculated the charges from 2016 but the water connections were given only in April 2017. Ramesh, a resident says the water line was laid but connections were not given. It is not fair on the part of SCB to collect charges. Speaking to Hans India Anitha said, “In the year 2015, there were 20 water connections out of which 10 were illegal. The other 80 people out of 100 were using public tap. After which 80% people paying amounts ranging anywhere between Rs 3,000 to Rs 8,000 the water connections were given but the water board is levying more bill beyond the designated amount to varied classes.”

In another case, a resident was issued a water bill dated 1 June 2018 of Rs 17,155 to a resident living in an asbestos sheeted shelter, who had paid Rs 3000 for the drinking water connection. Without clear calculations, the total amount sums the previous arrears of Rs 16,840 and monthly bill of Rs 317 for 14 months period. But, as per the guidelines given the SCB need to collect only Rs 160 from a resident living in an asbestos sheeted building and have no right to collect the amount from 2016 when there was no water connection.

Similarly, people in ward no 7 also complained for drinking water connection for Rs 1 following the state government scheme as they cannot afford to pay anywhere between Rs4,000 to 8,000 to avail the drinking water facility. According to the sources, the existing four-inch water pipelines were removed and the water board is laying two-inch pipeline. On learning about the issue, the congress leader SriGanesh submitted a complaint.