Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SB)

Mangaluru, Nov 14: Mayor Kavita Sanil was in for a shock on Tuesday November 14 as the assistant executive engineer (AEE) of Mangaluru City Corporation revealed that as taxpayers in the city had evaded water bills totalling over Rs 12.64 crore.

Towards the end of her press meet here on Tuesday, media persons posed the mayor questions about illegal water connections and pending bills. The mayor then sought details about the pending payments from AEE Naresh Shenoy.

However, the AEE did not have the details ready at hand and could give no answer. This annoyed and angered the mayor, who sent him out to fetch the data immediately.

After about 20 minutes, the AEE returned with a list and handed it over to the mayor.

The mayor read out the details aloud and expressed shock at the amount that was pending.

Taxpayers had evaded water bills totalling Rs 12,64,36,759. After warning had been issued three months ago, the MCC had collected pending water bills of Rs 11 lac. Apart from this, the MCC officials collected Rs 13 lac through site visits.

The MCC has a total of 87,773 water connections, out of which 80,612 are residential, 4,869 non-residential, 1,034 are commercial and 1,251 are for construction sites. There are 4,301 consumers whose water bills cross Rs 10,000 per bill cycle. It is this category that had evaded the payments, the mayor said.

The mayor slammed the AEE in front of the media for not collecting the pending bills. She directed him to collect all the pending dues immediately and disconnect the connections of those who do not pay up for any reason whatsover.

The mayor urged the citizens who have not paid their pending dues to make the payments immediately or face disconnection of water supply and even legal action.