Close on the heels of a massive water tariff hike for industrial establishments, Industries Minister K J George has decided to take up the matter with his party colleague and Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar.
“The decision to hike water tariff was made without any consultation,” a senior official from the Commerce and Industries department told DH and confirmed that George would raise this issue with the Water Resources department.
“The matter is being taken up at the highest levels,” the official said.
On Friday, DH reported that the state government hiked water tariff for industries by 100 times.
According to the new tariff, the cost of one million cubic feet of water has been revised from Rs 3,200 to Rs 3 lakh rupees for all industrial uses. Similarly, the tariff for drawing water from natural sources has also been hiked from Rs 1,800 to Rs 1.50 lakh per one million cubic feet of water.
The hike was based on recommendations by the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited (KBJNL), which functions under the water resources department.