Kozhikode: The Corporation council has decided to take up the issue with the new State Government on the Kerala Water Authority's (KWA) demand that the Kozhikode corporation pay the pending water bills amounting to Rs.34 crores.

This was decided at a meeting of the special council held here on Tuesday. The meeting was called after the Local Fund Audit Department wrote to Mayor M. Bhaskaran demanding that a decision be taken on the issue that the KWA had stated that the corporation had to pay the amount due to the State-owned department.

Most of the councillors, who spoke at the meeting, said that the corporation should initiate legal action against the KWA for making such false claims on water charges. However, Mr. Bhasakran, who chaired the meeting, said that it would be better to seek the assistance of the new Government. The corporation would have to opt for legal remedies if the Government failed to take a positive decision within two months, he said. The KWA's argument was that corporation had to remit Rs.39.96 crores for water charges. But the local body had paid only Rs.5.96 crores.

The councillors said that the KWA was required to pay Rs.10.5 crores for the assets when the corporation handed over the drinking water supply scheme in the city to the State agency in 1991. The KWA had paid the sum and had rejected the figures put forth by the corporation.

Many of the councillors said that the KWA's version was incorrect, as the corporation was required to pay only Rs.4.66 crores for the water charges for six years. The balance amount of Rs.24 crores was the interest charged on the amount for the six-year period.

They demanded that the KWA pay the pending Rs.10.5 crores to the corporation along with the interest for 15 years.

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