5 days ago
Delhi: Govt bodies owe Rs 63,019 crore in pending water bills. Here are the biggest defaulters
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has been incurring losses due to a huge backlog of unpaid dues. Government data reveals that the state and central government bodies owe more to the DJB than domestic consumers. Among these, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Railways top the list of government bodies with the highest pending water bills.
Water Minister Parevsh Sahib Singh said that 'water is a shared responsibility, and ensuring its uninterrupted supply requires collective effort. Resolving these financial bottlenecks will significantly strengthen our capacity to maintain and improve the city's water infrastructure'.
'We are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure timely solutions in the best interest of every Delhi resident,' the minister added.
According to officials, the DJB will be writing to the state and central government departments, including hospitals, Delhi Police, and others, asking them to pay their pending bills or adjust them.
Data shows that the government departments' unpaid bill stands at Rs 63,019.2 crore — Rs 33,295.79 crore is the state government's share, and Rs 29,723.37 crore is the central government's dues.
Among the state government's dues, the MCD tops the list — its dues stand at Rs 26,147 crore, followed by the state health department at Rs 66,84.6 crore.
In the Central government, as per data, the Railways has a huge pendency of unpaid water bills — Rs 21,530.5 crore. It is followed by the Delhi Police, whose pending dues are Rs 6,097 crore.
Meanwhile, residents owe the DJB Rs 1.42 lakh crore in pending water bills, officials have said. Of this, domestic consumers only owe the board Rs 15,000 crore, or 10.5% of the total amount.
Officials said that consumers in the commercial category owe the DJB Rs 66,000 crore, followed by government departments, whose unpaid bills stand at Rs 63,019 crore, while domestic consumers owe the board Rs 15,000 crore.
The government is already working on a one-time scheme to waive the late payment surcharge (LPSC) of water bills of domestic consumers.
Officials said the status of pending bills is up to July 14, and these bills have been adding up over the last 10 years.
