HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB), which has infuriated consumers by abruptly hiking water tariff, maybe in for another windfall.The property tax data available with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) relating to commercial properties has exposed a gaping hole in the same list available with the water board. As many as 24,000 properties have been listed in the commercial category by the GHMC but the same are listed under the domestic consumers category by the water board.Waking up from its deep slumber, the water board has now decided to bring the 24,000 properties under the commercial category. This move will boost its monthly revenues by `5 crore-`10 crore.It also has plans to take commercial activities into consideration. If on a main road, commercial activities are taking place, all the connections on that stretch may be brought under the commercial category.The cash-strapped board revised exclusive tariff slabs for commercial connections in December last year. Against this backdrop, officials matched the GHMC data on commercial properties with the one available with them. They found that about 23,392 domestic consumer account numbers (CANs) matched with the GHMC commercial house numbers.The water board has directed the general managers (operation & maintenance) to set the record straight by converting the connections from domestic to commercial. The general managers have been told to give top priority to identify commercial establishments and take action accordingly.
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