The Hindu : KWA ordered to reassess water charges

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 05, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

KWA ordered to reassess water charges

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 4. The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has ordered the Kerala Water Authority(KWA) to cancel the huge water charges arrears bill it had issued to members of the Sastri Nagar Association, Karamana and to prepare fresh bills on a correct assessment of the arrears, using proper running meters.

The district forum gave this order in a complaint filed by V. G. Balakrishnan, the president of the Sastri Nagar Association, on behalf of all the members.

He said in his complaint that the members of his Association had been paying their water bills without default, on the basis of the slab charges. On January 31, 2001, they were served huge arrears bills, which they claimed had no basis at all. They appealed that the KWA be asked to fix proper water meters and to recalculate their arrears on the basis of correct readings.

The KWA authorities contended that arrears since 1991 were pending and that it was unfortunate that the bills ran into thousands of rupees.

The forum pointed out that the huge bills had been issued, the basis for which had not been made clear to the consumers. The KWA cannot keep arrears pending over a decade and then issue huge bills to consumers, which was arbitrary and illegal.

The forum pointed out that most of the water meters were faulty and proper assessment of arrears cannot be made on the basis of such faulty readings. The KWA was at fault for not making periodical and regular assessment of repairs, replacements and collections, for which the consumers cannot be taxed.

The forum ordered that the bills be cancelled and fresh bills prepared through proper assessment, with the help of an expert. The KWA was also ordered to fix proper meters wherever they were faulty, with the expenses chargeable on consumers. Fresh arrears bills may be prepared for the past three years on the basis of the bills for the next three months.

Any dispute regarding the functioning of meters or the calculation of arrears was to be settled with the help of an expert and the expenses may be shared by the KWA and consumers.

The forum also ordered the KWA to pay a fine of Rs. 2,000 and to pay Rs. 1,000 as costs to the Association.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Parallel English medium divisions in schools

All-India medical allotment

Panel side-steps sandal unit row

Schemes for hospital waste disposal

DYFI plans 'secular family gatherings'

'Wanton transfers' in KSEB

New colleges sanctioned by Kerala University

KWA ordered to reassess water charges

Mayor denies charges on tax assessment system