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Chhattisgarh’s water resources (irrigation) department is due to recover a whopping amount from the industries that is equivalent to 25% of its annual budget.
The department’s budget for the fiscal 2013-14 is estimated at Rs 2600 crore while the department is due to recover Rs 614 crore from the industries. In all, 42 industrial units having facilities in the state owe huge water cess, state’s Water Resources Minister Brijmohan Agrawal informed in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Thursday.
The issue was raised by the ruling party member Devji Bhai Patel who asked about the water allocation to the industries from various resources and subsequent water tax collection by the department. The minister said 57 industries were being supplied water from different water resources in the state. Water cess pending against 42 industries has reached over Rs 614 crore,” he added.
Agrawal informed that there was a provision of collecting water tax as per the rates fixed by the government from time to time. However, efforts were on to recover the dues from the industries, which include private as well as government entities, the minister added.
Interestingly, state-run companies of the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) had the maximum outstanding of Rs 432.87 crore besides Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation (CSIDC) that had an outstanding due of Rs 8.16 crore for the water it had used from state’s resources.
The prominent private entities due to pay water cess to the state government included Wardha Power Company Ltd, a venture of KSK Energy (Rs 26.95 crore), M/s Nova Iron and Steel Ltd (Rs 40.22 crore), Ind Synergy Ltd, Kotmar (Rs 27.42 crore), National Thermal Power Corporation, (Rs 25 crore), and Balco (Rs 6.84 crore).
