The Hyderabad Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) recently announced that as on June 14, out of a total of 9,73,977 people who had water connections in the city, the 4,06,508 (41%) who had linked their water documents with their Aadhaar cards were getting the benefit of the state government's
free drinking water scheme, which was launched by Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister K T Rama Rao in January this year.
This means that many residents of the GHMC area are still not being able to avail themselves of the benefits of the scheme (the scheme provides free water to households whose water consumption is below 20,000 litres per month).
A reason for this is that the water board asks those seeking to become beneficiaries of the program to submit property mutation documents. When residents approach the GHMC for the same, it allegedly takes months together to complete the mutation process. This is why many residents have expressed their annoyance at the ULB, and have said that they see the body as a "stumbling block" in their getting the benefit.
The mutation process itself is a lengthy procedure as it requires people to procure an encumbrance certificate, a market value certificate, notarisation, and registration documents. Further, they are required to submit a demand draft in favour of the GHMC. After completing this cumbersome and time-taking process, people are still unable to receive the mutation papers. Scores have complained that even two months after submitting the required papers, the GHMC officials have not processed the same and have therefore delayed the release of the mutation papers required for the water scheme application.
Those who have been running to and from the GHMC office are often told that the GHMC Deputy commissioner, who is the signing authority on the property papers, is occupied with Covid-19 vaccination drive work. Disappointed applicants, therefore, are left wondering whether the official has only been attending to vaccination related matters for months together without taking care of other works.
One annoyed applicant said, "It is high time the MAUD Minister KTR takes up the issue and directs the GHMC officials to clear all the pending mutation files at the earliest so that we can avail ourselves of the benefit of the free water scheme."