Telangana: Hit by water bill shock, residents corner MLA

Hyderabad: Cantonment MLA Sayanna on Tuesday faced the ire of at least 300 residents of Laxminagar, Picket, who gathered outside his residence to protest the latest water bills issued by the SCB.

The residents, who had arrived at the MLA’s home  in the morning, claimed the MLA had not been paying heed to their complaints since Saturday. The deadline to pay the water bills is fast approaching and if the bills are not paid, the SCB has threatened to cut off the water supply to homes in the area.

Over 5,000 households in the Cantonment board area have received red notices for water dues. Most of the residents have been left shocked by the pending bill amounts, which range between Rs 10,000 to Rs 35,000. The households have also been asked to make a one-time settlement as these homes were not issued bills on a monthly basis.

The board has also identified households who have not been paying or receiving bills. Based on the monthly demand, the bills and the amounts were calculated by the officials and issued to the homes in the area.

The issue has also been forwarded to Municipal Minister Mr K. T Rama Rao. “We have asked the minister to waive water bill arrears of 5,000 households in the Cantonment area or at least intervene  in the matter and negotiate terms with the board. The residents here cannot pay these huge amounts, said Krishank Manne, a resident of the SCB area.

Following the protest, Sri Ganesh , who was part of the agitation, confirmed that the MLA had approached the chief minister claims they were promised a decision within a week’s time.