Water board yet to get its share of property tax.

Times of India: Hyderabad : Thursday, February 26, 2015.

When it comes to sharing of property tax revenue with the Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is showing utmost reluctance. 

As per GO 461, issued in 2009, the GHMC is supposed to remit 25 percent of the property tax it collects to the water board. But the GHMC has so far failed to give the HMWS&SB a single paisa in the last six years, an RTI query revealed. 

While the GHMC has been going hammer and tongs against property tax defaulters, it owes the water board (HMWSSB) a whooping Rs 1,500 crore. 

HMWS&SB officials say they may be forced to increase the water tariff in the GHMC limits mainly due to the GHMC's stubborn attitude in denying them their share in the property tax. 

B Satyanandam, general manager (Revenue), water board, said the GHMC contintued to be a tough customer. 

"It has always been the responsibility of the urban local body, which in this case is the GHMC to ensure proper supply of water and disposal of sewerage. The GHMC should have sent the money to the water board as mandated by the government order," said G R Karunaker, a civic activist. 

The civic body is not only bound by the GO, even section 199 of the GHMC Act of 1955 says that property tax consists of general, water, drainage, lighting and conservancy taxes. Legally, the water tax must be given to the respective department handling the matter, experts say. 

"At this point of time when the city is staring at a dry spell, it should have been the GHMC's responsibility to give a share of the property tax to the water board so that it could use the money for developmental work," Karunakar added. 

A few projects that have been hit by the fund-crunch are the yet-to-be commissioned Krishna Phase-III and the recently commissioned Godavari water project. Due to delays in both projects, the city is dependent for water on Osmansagar and Himayathsagar.