WP/13767/2020 of G.Sumalatha Vs Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and 3 Others on 30 December 2020

1. Hyderabad lvletropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Jalasoudha,Khairatabad, Hyderabad. Rep. by its Managing Director

2. The Director - Revenue, HA/WS and SB, Jalasoudha Khairatabad, Hyderabad.3. Chief General Manager, O and It/ Circle-lV, HMWS and SB, S.R.Nagar,Hyderabad.

4. General Manager, O and M Div.No.15, HMWS and SB, ChandanagarHyderabad.

,..RESPONDENTS

Petition under Article 226 of lhe Constitution of lndia [praying ]that in thecircumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be [pleased ]toissue a Writ of lvlandamus or any other appropriate Writ or Order or Orders, Directionor Directions to declare the action of the Respondents in demanding from thepetitioner vide CAN Number 620287987 water charges at 3 times the normal ratesbasing on Clause 26(S) of G.O.Ms.No.168, MA and UD Departmentdated 07.04.2012, with effect from the date of [providing ]the water supply to thepetitioner by obtaining undertaking from them as illegal, arbitrary, without [jurisdiction]and u nco nstitutio na I and to restrain the respondents from raising such bills for 3 timeswater charges and insisting for the payment of same from the petitioners.

lA NO: 1_9F 2020

Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in theaffidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be [pleased ]to direct theRespondents not to insist the petitioner Vide. CAN Number 620287987 to [pay ]watercharges at 3 times the normal rates on the ground of not submitting occupancycedificate from the GHMC under G.O.Ms.No.168, MA&UD Oepartmentdated 07.04.2012, pending disposal of the Writ Petition.

Counsel for the Petitioner : SRI B. SRAVAN KUMAR

Counsel for the Respondents: SRI T. SUDHAKAR REDDY, SC FOR HMWS & SBThe Court made the following: ORDER

THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE A.ABHISHEK REDDY

WRIT PDTITION No.13767 of 2O2O

RDER:

Heard the learned counsel for the pcritioner andSri T.Sudhakar Reddv, the learned Standing Counsel lbr therespondent-Board. ['lhe ]Writ Petition is disposed ol'ar thc stage o1'admission itse lf.

When the mattcr is taken up lirr hearirrg, thc learned c:ounscllirr Lhe pctitioncr has submittccl that thc issuc r.zriscd ir-r lhclirr Lhe pctitioncr has submittccl that thc issuc r.zriscd ir-r lhcprcscnt r.r,'rit petition is sc.luareir. covercd bt, thr: r:ommon order,datccl 03. ll.2O2O, passed by this Court iri W [).Nos.280 14 ol'20 L4& batch.& batch.

The above saicl submissjon [js ]not disputed by the learneclStanding Counscl appearing for thc rcspondcnts hclcin.

In vicw of the s:rme and lor l-hc reasons alikc in the commor.rordcr, dated 03.1 1.2020, passcd in W.l).Nos.28014 ol 2014 &ba!c-h, thc. prcsent Writ I)ctitiorr is disposed of, u'itl.iout cxprc.ssingany opinion on merits wi1.h rcspcct to thc variolrs issues riliscd inthe \\.rit petition, clirecting thc responden t- l3oarC to consider rhecasc ol the pctitior-rer in terms of thc Proceedit-rgsNo.HMWSSB/Revenue/2018. 19,t 793, darr:c.l 07.01.201 9, ancl passnecessar)r orders, in accordarrcr: '"vith Lau,, The miscellaneous pctitions pcr-rding, if anl , shall standcloscd. ['l'hcrc ]shall bc no ordL:r as to costs.closcd. ['l'hcrc ]shall bc no ordL:r as to costs.

SD/-V.SUAASSISTANTGIR//TRUE COPY//SECTIN OFFICER

To,1. The Managing Director, Hyderabad lvletropolitan Water Supply and SewerageBoard, Jalasoudha, Khairatabad, Hyderabad.1. The Managing Director, Hyderabad lvletropolitan Water Supply and SewerageBoard, Jalasoudha, Khairatabad, Hyderabad.

2. The Director - Revenue, HMWS and SB, Jalasoudha Khairatabad, Hyderabad.3. Chief General Manager, O and Ir/ Circle-lV, HMWS and SB, S.R.Nagar,Hyderabad.3. Chief General Manager, O and Ir/ Circle-lV, HMWS and SB, S.R.Nagar,Hyderabad.

4. General Manager, O and M Div.No.15, HMWS and SB, ChandanagarHyderabad.Hyderabad.

5. One CC to Sri B. Sravan Kumar, Advocate [OPUC]

[OPUC]6. One CC to Sri T. Sudhakar Reddy, SC for Hlt4WS & SB, Advocate IOPUC]7. Two CD Copies7. Two CD Copies(Along with a copy of order dl:0311112020 in W.P.No.2B014 of 2014 and Batch)

\']F

HIGH COURTDATED:30/1212020

ORDERWP.No.13767 [of ][2020]

DISPOSING [OF ][THE WP]WITHOUT COSTS1z\o 1v,EsI4oO0IJAl[2021**t)tsPAJC

THE HON,BLE [SRI ]USTICE ][CHALLA KODANDA ][RAM]

WRIT PETITION [No'28014 ][of ][2014]

WRIT PETITION [Nos'6O9 ][and ][7!29 ][of ][2015]

WRIT PETITION [Nos'14163 and 28975 ][of ][2016]

WRIT PETITION [Nos'36931 and 37014 ][ot ][2OL7]

WRIT PETITION [Nos'4648' ][24226 ][and ][46363 ][of ][2018]

WRIT PETITIoN [Nos.1384, ][L53g, 3637, 3642| ][7gL6, ][L22a7, 17297, 19a37,]2L233, [23L74, ][zozdz,'iditi'-2a23t' ][z6goz ][ana 2e2o4 ][ot ][zole]

WRIT PETITION [Nos'1o7, ][586' ][630' ][1.,28A' ][22gO ]' [4386' ][43A7 ][' ][438A' ][4395']4sss-' [46t4' ][464L' 4642' ][4648,]44t8, 4s46,4ss2, [457L,;;;;' ;;;;'-;;;6' ]47 Ls, 42 [4s, ][47 ][5a, ][47 ][6s, ][;;;;" ][;; ]" [;" ][iio ][t'' ][qso-q' ][4 ][a27' ][4e7 ][s' ][4e7 ][6' ][4sa ][o']4sa2, 4sa6, [so'4, ][s1o2,;;;;:,;';1:' ][se38; ][60-36' ]106-1^7' [5046' ][1061e' 10621' ][7s7o' ][8360' 836s'][1o63s']8440. 8se6, [aso=, ]""",'iiii''ioii'-iooi' 106s7, [106e8, 1o6ee, ][1o;#''i'6ii" ttoti' ][1130s' ][114es' 11s16' ][11543']11s4s, [11604, ][,ru",, ][tiliii ][i'ZZZi'11zog" ][rtzt-t' ][ttzzt' ][LL774' ][Lr77s']tt7 7 6, Lt7 [z ][a, ][rr'r ][rr,,'ililt', ][lil6il' ][7it ][ga' ][r re ][2z' ][r ][ra ][g ][s' ][1 ][laee' ][1 ][leoo']11e01, [11eos, ][,rrr", ][,'rodi,-;';;;;,'i;;;;'-ii5tg' ][izso+ ][and ][t28r7 ][ot ][2o2o]

COMMON [ORDERT]

HeardSriVedulaSrinivas,learnedcounselforthepetitioners;andSril. Ramachandra [Rao, learned Additional Advocate ][General ][assisted ][by ][the]rearned [standing ][counsel ][Sri ][r. ][Sudhakar ][Reddy ][for ][Hyderabad Metropolitan]Water Supply [and Sewerage ][Board (HMWSSB)' ][for the ][respondents']

is made to [the ][charging ][of ][three ][times]It is a [case ][where ][challenge]on [Rule ][21(v) ][of ][G'O'Ms'No'86]tariff in Place [of ][normal ][tariff' ][bY]relying dated 03.03.2006, [and ][Rule ][26(9) ][of ][G'O Ms'No 168 ][dated ][07'04'2012' ][for]water supply [for the ][petitioners ][who ][have failed ][to ][submit ][Occupancy]CertificateIt may [be ][noted ][that ][vide ][G'O'Ms ][No'86 dated ][03'03'2006' ][the]Rures [under ][the ][name ][and style ][of ][Hyderabad Buirding rures ][came ][into]effectIt may [also be ][further ][noted ][that in ][none ][of ][the ][writ ][petitions ][there]G.O.Ms.No.86 [dated 03'03'2006' ][or to ][the]is any [challenge ][to ][the]Vide these [two ][Government]subsequent [G.O.Ms ][No 168 ][dated 07'O4'2Ot2']ISpurport of the [Rules ][and ][the]Orders, [by way ][of ][Rules, wherever ][there]Government [Orders ][so ][far ][as ][relevant ][is concerned is ][that ][the ][submission of]Occupancy [Certificate ][was ][made ][mandatory ][and ][in ][the ][event ][of ][non-]

submission of Occupancy Certificate, the water charges shall be levied threetimes of normal cha rg es.times of normal cha rg es.

Arguments

Though it was initially contended by the learned counsel for thepetitioners that levy of three times of normal charges is unauthorised, whenthe matter of taken up For hearing, learned counsel for the petitioners hadpetitioners that levy of three times of normal charges is unauthorised, whenthe matter of taken up For hearing, learned counsel for the petitioners hadplaced on record the proceedings of HMWSSB vide proceedingsNo.HMWSSB/Revenue/2o18- 79/793 dated 07,01.2019, and contended thatin the said proceedings dated 07.01.2019, a Policy decision has been takenby the HMWSSB and the said decision would squarely apply to theby the HMWSSB and the said decision would squarely apply to thepetitioners in W.P.No.2B014 of 2014, W.p.No.7129 of 2015 andW.P.No.46363 of 2018.

Learned Standing Counsel Sri T. Sudhakar Reddy, after obtaininginstructions from the HMWSSB, filed a Memo dated 22.O9.2020 before thisCourt enclosing the proceedings of HMWSSB vide Lr.No.HMWSSB/Dir(Rev)/2020-21/2253 dated 2t.O9.2020, and stating that rheHMWSSB stands by its proceedings dated 07.01.2019 and willing toimplement the same; and the said decision communicated underProceedings dated 07.01.2019 would apply to all cases who are eligible.

When queried, Sri Vedula Srinivas, learned counsel would submit thathe would be satisfied if the cases of petitioners are considered in terms ofHMWSSB decision vide Proceedings dated 07.01.2019.

The lead arguments which were advanced by Sri Vedula Srinivas,learned counsel for the petitioners, and the decision of HMWSSB which thelearned Standing Counsel had communicated by way of Memo dated22.O9.2020 before this Court, were adopted by other learned counsels SriMuddana Koteswara Rao, sri sravan Kumar and other counsels appearingfor the petitioners in their respective writ petitions, and have prayed for disposal of the writ petitions with a direction to the respondgnts to considerthe cases of petitioners in terms of proceedings of HMWSSB dated07 .01.2019 for which prayer there was no objection from the respondentscounsels.counsels.

Accordingly, the writ petitions are disposed of without expressing anyopinion on merits with respect to various issues raised in the writ petitions,with a direction to the respondent- H MWSSB to consider the case of thewith a direction to the respondent- H MWSSB to consider the case of thepetitioners in terms of the Proceedings No. HMWSSB/Revenue /2ot9-lg/793dated 07.01.2019. No costs. Miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, shallstand closed.dated 07.01.2019. No costs. Miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, shallstand closed.

03'd November,2020

ksm

CHALLA KODANDA RAM, J