Monday 13 February 2012 Government 2.0: The Road Ahead
Jharkhand serves notice for illegal water usage

About a dozen companies have been served notices for drawing water from state rivers for industrial usage without paying for them

Ranchi: The Government of Jharkhand has slapped a 15-day deadline on as many as 12 industrial houses, mining units and educational institution to clear their outstanding dues for water usage or face the disconnection.

The companies served notices for paying up their dues include Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL), mines division of the Tata Steel at Noamundi, Associated Cement Factory (ACC), Jhikpani, Bokaro Steel, Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra), Ranchi, Hindalco industries at Muri, Bokaro Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA), Usha Martin at Jamshedpur, Rungta Mines, Kohinoor Steel, Adhunik Thermal Energy, Bihar Iron and Sponge Limited at Chandil.

These companies together owed the government a whopping Rs 31.37 crore upto January 2010 for drawing water from different rivers for industrial usage.

Water Resources secretary R S Poddar said that some of the companies had not paid their water consumption charge ever since creation of Jharkhand. “We are going very tough this time. And harsh action will follow if payments are not made within the stipulated deadline,” he added.

As per the notification issued by the Water Resources Department, mines division of the Tatas and the Bihar Sponge Iron have emerged as the major defaulters owing Rs 12.24 crore and Rs 12.23 crore respectively. The UCIL owed Rs 1.42 crore, the Associate Cement Companies (ACC), Jhinkpani Rs 2.91 crore and the Ballabh Steel, Dugdha-Gamharia, Rs 1.10 crore.

Leading engineering institute the Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra also have water tax dues worth Rs 21.14 lakh. The BIADA has an outstanding dues of Rs 21.10 lakh, Kohinoor Steel Rs 28.60 lakh, Rungta Mines Rs 18.07 lakh, Adhunik Thermal Energy Rs 50.82 lakh and Usha Martin, Jamshedpur, Rs 4.18 lakh.

“The defaulter companies have been asked to update their payment of water tax within fifteen days of the publication of the notice in the leading news dailies. The Department in no uncertain terms has warned these companies and institutions to discontinue water supply in their premises and plants, if they fail to comply with the notice within the said period besides facing certificate cases.

Taking serious exception to the withdrawal of water from rivers without any approval, the Water Resources Department has directed units like Bihar Sponge Iron, UCIL, BIT Mesra, ACC i, Tata Steel Mines Division and BIADA to enter into agreement with the state at the earliest.

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