Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Water Authority has pared down the bill dues from Cliff House and Manmohan Bungalow — the official residences of Kerala Chief Minister and Transport Minister. The Tourism department which is responsible for maintaining the official residences of State ministers now need to pay Rs 40 lakh only as the water bill arrears for these two properties.
The initial total arrears were far more than Rs 40 lakh. The dues were commuted as part of a one-time settlement in response to a plea by the Tourism department. The latter had sought a relaxation after the KWA issued a notice over the non-payment of the arrears up to last March 31.
As reported earlier public consumers account for just Rs 216.25 crore out of the Rs 1,878.20 crore total dues to the KWA. The remaining have to be paid by the government departments, public sector undertakings and local self-government bodies. The police department alone accumulated arrears of Rs 13.81 crore. Though the Water Authority has sent letters to the heads of all departments, seeking money, most of them have not paid any heed.
